<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A former detective allegedly received two trips to </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/thailand" rel="" target="_blank" title="Thailand"><span>Thailand</span></a><span>, luxury hotel accommodation and misused his position to help a travel agent resolve a civil dispute.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ex-</span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/victoria" rel="" target="_blank" title="Victoria "><span>Victoria</span></a><span> Police detective sergeant Wayne Dean, 66, faced </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/melbourne" rel="" target="_blank" title="Melbourne "><span>Melbourne</span></a><span> Magistrates Court today for a brief hearing after being charged by the state's anti-corruption watchdog with blackmail and bribery.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His co-accused, including travel agent Cheng Christine Zhang, and associates Basilios Meletsis and Alex Dimopoulos, also faced court today.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/yang-jun-federal-government-praises-australian-writers-resilience-after-seven-years-detained-in-china/b3b985ba-2ede-4365-b159-d66ebf3e90ed" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Government hails Aussie's 'resilience' in Chinese jail on dark anniversary</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>All four were placed on bail, after initially being charged on summons, with conditions including that they not contact any witnesses for the prosecution.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Zhang's lawyer said his client would need to be allowed to travel overseas and then tried to have her case suppressed, but this was not approved as he had no material to fight for the order.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Dean, Zhang, Meletsis and Dimopoulos were all ordered to return to the court on April 23.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/melbourne-court-ex-detective-wayne-dean-accused-of-receiving-trips-to-thailand-and-luxury-hotels-to-help-travel-agent/eb150670-9d2f-4bd1-9281-fd5fdbd39191" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Court documents released after the hearing reveal Dean is facing 35 charges following an Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission investigation into the police veteran.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This includes allegations Dean received return flights to Thailand from Zhang on two occasions, in January and August 2019, and one night accommodation at Sandpiper Hotel Apollo Bay, to show favour to her.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Dean is accused of misusing his position in Victoria Police to access police powers, premises and resources to represent that he was genuinely investigating a person for a criminal offence, when he was seeking to assist Zhang in a civil dispute, the court documents stated.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/michael-hurst-flags-fly-at-halfmast-for-australian-man-who-died-on-japanese-ski-mountain/8bb842f8-3c52-4642-b418-ef8f8447ed87" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Flags fly at half-mast for Australian man who died on Japanese ski mountain</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Another charge alleges Dean questioned a person under the guise that he was investigating a theft when he was seeking to help Zhang in a civil dispute and supplied Zhang with a recorded interview.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He also allegedly received two nights' accommodation at Park Hyatt Hotel in Melbourne from Dimopoulos, in March 2019, as "an inducement to act in violation of his official duty" and show favour to him.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Dean further allegedly received two nights' accommodation at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney in July 2019 and the services of a driver, a phone and cash from Dimopoulos.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The former detective is accused of providing false information to the magistrates' court, misusing his powers by arresting someone over a civil debt, and in 2022 allegedly obtaining evidence of a burglary he was not investigating at National Storage in Thomastown and providing it to associates.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He is also accused of misusing his position to obtain sensitive information and providing that to associates, and of attending a pharmacy and under false claims he was investigating a fraud complaint.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Dean told the commission in May 2022 hearings that he received cash on an ad-hoc basis from Meletsis, about $200, but denied he was paid to do jobs.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div 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