Victorian Premier John Brumby must introduce a police anti-corruption commission, following the collapse of a murder case against former drug squad detective Paul Dale, the opposition says.
A source close to the Office of Public Prosecutions (OPP) said the murder charge against Dale will be dismissed in court next Friday.
Dale is charged with the 2004 murder of police informer Terence Hodson who was shot dead along with his wife Christine at their Kew home.
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Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu said the imminent collapse of the case was yet another spectacular failure of the Brumby government to fight allegations of police corruption.
"What we know is that two people, who were to be witnesses in a high profile case against police, were murdered - what Victorians now face is a situation where they will never know what's gone on in this case," Mr Baillieu said.
Independent corruption watchdog
"I don't believe John Brumby has any choice now but to introduce an independent broad-based anti-corruption commission.
"He'd been wrong to say in the past that the systems are available to deal with allegations of corruption, he'd been wrong to assume that Victoria did not need a broad-based anti-corruption commission, he has no option, there should now be a broad-based anti-corruption commission."
Mr Baillieu said a commission had the advantage of shedding light on evidence, collecting evidence and conducting investigations in a way that enabled the public to know what was going on.
Police had alleged that Dale wanted Hodson dead because he planned to give evidence against the detective in court.
Dale was arrested in February last year and was granted bail the following September after fears that continued detention in the Acacia unit at Victoria's Barwon Prison may affect his mental health.
Two key people had turned Crown witness against him.
