NSW police commissioner Andrew Scipione has rejected suggestions he played favourites with two deputies who are caught up in a controversial police bugging inquiry.
At a state parliamentary inquiry on Wednesday, Mr Scipione distanced himself from the surveillance operation by the Special Crime and Internal Affairs unit that targeted more than 100 officers as part of an anti-corruption probe more than a decade ago.
Operation Mascot has been the source of great angst in NSW Police and deep tensions among the upper echelons of the force, including deputy commissioners Nick Kaldas and Catherine Burn.
Mr Scipione used a lengthy statement to the inquiry to clear up "errors" about his involvement in the operation.
He said he promoted Mr Kaldas to deputy commissioner in 2007. Ms Burn applied but was not successful.
"I would not have put his name forward if I believed he wasn't clear and absolutely appropriate as fit and proper to occupy that position," he said on Wednesday.
Three years later, Ms Burn was elevated to the rank.
"To suggest I had favoured one over the other is simply not true," he said.
Mr Scipione said the tension between Ms Burn and Mr Kaldas, who claimed he was overlooked for promotion after being unjustly targeted by Mascot, had been felt by his executive team.
"For that reason at the very least, this matter needs to be thoroughly investigated, its findings made public and the matters dealt with once and forever," he said.
Mr Scipione, an officer of 35 years, was head of SCIA for less than 12 months in 2001.
It was a year after listening device warrants were obtained to bug police, the inquiry heard.
Some officers claim affidavits to obtain the warrants contained false or misleading information.
Ms Burn was a team leader on Operation Mascot.
Mr Scipione said he received complaints about SCIA's activities in 2001 and dealt with them swiftly, taking them to then-deputy commissioner Ken Moroney.
Strike Force Emblems later began investigating the operation, but its report has not been publicly released.
Mr Scipione said he instructed his officers to give everything to Ombudsman Bruce Barbour after he began investigating the phone bugging saga in 2012.
He said he was told in 2005 there was no further action to be taken and the matter had been finalised.
The inquiry is looking at the ombudsman's handling of the phone bugging probe.
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