Australia’s first political assassination or simply a criminal gang murder?
John Newman like many Australians arrived in the country as a young child when his family immigrated to Australia and settled in Cabramatta. He began his education at Cabramatta public school and later Liverpool Boys High. Later he would attend the University of Sydney where he completed post-graduate studies in industrial law and he had began quite a successful career in politics as part of the Labor party, including serving as both deputy mayor and acting mayor of Fairfield city council and on the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales.
However John Newman’s fate was far from being remembered for his contributions to the area in which he had lived since he was 4 years of age, but rather for being the victim of what many consider the nation’s first political assassination at age 47, when he was shot and killed outside his home in Cabramatta about 9:30pm, 5th September 1994. The only witness being Newman’s fiance, Lucy Wang, who reported on seeing a man in an army style jacket fire four shots then escape in a waiting car.
Prior to his murder, Newman had been highly involved in a campaign to end the Asian crime gangs such as helping to bring about “Task Force Oak”, a police unit to combat the growing corruption and crime, ranging from home invasions to drugs and prostitution. In addition Newman was soon to come up against a political rival that he himself believed to be involved in the criminal activities of the Asain crime gangs.
Of the Asian crime gangs the one that was the focus of police attention over the murder was known as the “5T”, lead by 21 year old Tri Minh Tran, who himself was murdered less than a year later on 7th August 1995. Of interest is that on the day of Tran’s funeral a number of Cabramatta shopkeepers closed their doors, allegedly out of respect to the criminal gang leader, yet no such honour was given to Newman after his death.
In attendance at Tran’s funeral was Phuong Canh Ngo, the political rival of Newman who had already come to the attention of the police after a relative of Tran allegedly reported to them that Tran had refused an offer of $10,000.00 from Ngo to murder John Newman.
Ngo had arrived in Australia in 1982 as a Vietnamese refugee and quickly became involved in politics. In September 1987 he became the first Vietnamese born Australian to be elected into local government. The following year Ngo was a partner in forming Asia press Pty Ltd publishing the Vietnamese language newspaper “Dan Viet”. Later he was strongly involved with the Mekong club, NSW EthnicAffairs commission and in 1990 became deputy mayor of Fairfield.
In the same year it was reported the proposal to add an inscription commemorating the Chinese Communist Revolution to the Pai Lau gate in Cabramatta’s Freedom Square. This Ngo, deputy mayor at the time allegedly blamed on Newman and sued the newspaper as Ngo was ardently against communism. The case itself being settled out of court.
The following year the animosity between the two men grew even further when Ngo stood as an independent against Newman for the seat of Cabramatta. Newman allegedly responded by releasing a press statement questioning Ngo’s refugee status. Ngo lost the election reportedly only gaining 11.7% of the votes.
Sometime after Ngo lost the election he was invited by right leaning members of the Labor party to
join their new Canley Vale branch in direct opposition to Newman’s left leaning Labor Canley Heights branch. As both branches competed in their attempts to recruit new members which resulted in accusations of branch staking and much infighting within the Labor party.
During this period Newman publically blamed the 5T Asian crime gang for much of the criminal activity in the area, but it has been reported that privately he accused Ngo and his Mekong club, of whom Newman allegedly referred to as a “gang of hooligans”.
This, and the media’s regularly reporting that the Asian crime gangs made the suburb a centre for criminal activity, rumours begun to form such as the Mekong club had become a front for laundering drug money and other proceeds of Asian crime.
In 1994, the year of Newman’s execution style murder, Fairfield Council was seeking a “sister city” and he had advocated for a city in China, in accordance with Labor party policy whereas Ngo and his fellow Labor members Nick Lalich and Anwar Khoshaba pushed for a city from Taiwan, however Taiwan’s status as an nation was a subject of debate as China does not recognise their independence, nor did the Labor federal government of the time.
John Newman accused Ngo, Lalich and Khoshaba of accepting funding from the Taiwanese government as Cabramatta detective Tim Priest allegedly reported Ngo had received $117,000 from a representative of the Taipei Cultural Office. Newman further stated that the three should not be re-elected to council, which received much support but dispite this, the Taiwanese city of Hsinchu was awarded the sister city relationship with Fairfield.
It has also been alleged that during this period Newman had been the target multiple death threats and acts of vandalism, however he did not acknowlege the true danger and did not seek protection from the police.
On the 1st of June, the Labor State Electoral Council warned Ngo that if he continued to disregard Labor party policy regarding China, he would be expelled. In response it has been alledged that Ngo was enraged and had begun seeking advice on how to get firearms and hiring an assassin.
Approximately 9:30pm, 5th September 1994 the shots were fired from an unconfirmed assailant that ended John Newman’s life. Police quickly suspected 19 year old Tri Minh Tran and rumours began to spread that Ngo was also involved. After the murder of Tran in August of the following year, Ngo remained the prime suspect along with alleged co-conspirators David Dinh the alleged shooter and Tu Quang Dao who was allegedly driving the car. Who were both lateracquitted in the final trial.
Finally on the 13th March 1998 Ngo was arrested but as Ngo was a respected member of the Vietnamese Catholic community he had his supporters that drew attention to the weak nature of the evidence against him and began holding prayer services placing their faith in that he would be acquitted. However not all felt so supportive as hundreds reportedly signed a petition to the court recommending bail be denied and that Ngo remain behind bars. After two mistrials Ngo was convicted on 29th June 2001 and sentenced to life without parole.
However Ngo had his supporters including his friend, refugee advocate Marion Le who reported to police in 1999 that former councillor Albert Ranse had confessed to her that it was he who had murdered John Newman. Even some media sources began challenging the case against Ngo such as ABC’s “Four Corners” whom suggested that the murder weapon that was alleged to have been
dumped by Ngo was far too rusty than what is consistent in the time period between the time it was alleged to have been used to kill Newman and the time it was found.
As a result of the ongoing debates and media reports challenging the verdict, Chief Justice James Spigelman of the New South Wales Supreme Court ordered an inquiry into the conviction appointing former District Court Judge David Patten to conduct the investigation.
Ex-NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas, who had led the investigation into Newman’s murder at the time, gave evidence when asked by Andrew Colefax SC during the judicial review about Marion Le’s claims and if the police had an unwillingness to investigate them, Mr Kaldas stated he had interviewed Mr Ranse three times and that Ranse had denied any alleged involvement in the killing.
“No, suffice to say I do reject the allegations entirely (that) she has made,” Mr Kaldas said.and “They are ill informed, biased and … not based on fact.”
Nick Kaldas also explained that any involvement by Mr Ranse conflicted with eyewitness accounts and added “Somewhere between 15 to 20 witnesses would have had to be completely mistaken,”
“In the morning Ngo would sit on the board of the Area Heath Service, go to councils meetings and present a respectable veneer,” Mr Kaldas said.
“At night he sat in his headquarters, the Mekong Club and controlled the 5T gang who were behind most of the heroin flooding southwest Sydney at the time as well as extortion rackets and a fair few murders.” Nick Kaldas
“When Ngo was arrested and charged 100s of people from Cabramatta signed a petition pleading with the judge not to grant him bail, which is an example of the fear he instilled in many.’’
According to Mr Kaldas the investigation eventually grew to include more than 50 detectives from Homicide, Special Branch, Asian Crime Squad, the Federal Police and NSW Crime Commission. “It was a unique investigation. The victim had a lot of enemies because of his position in society and outspoken views.”
“There were dozen of suspects all who had to be ruled out of any involvement in his death. Early on Phuong Ngo was nominated by quite a few people as being responsible for his death.’’
“Ngo was eventually convicted after three trials — one aborted, a hung jury and finally a guilty verdict.”
“He appealed and lost, went to the High Court and lost and there was a judicial inquiry which backed the guilty verdict and commended police on their tenacious effort.”
“It was one of the most scrutinised investigations in NSW history,’’ said Mr Kaldas.
“In many ways it was also ground breaking. Not only as the first political assassination but for some of the investigative techniques used.”
Nick Kaldas has also been quoted as stating “His conviction not only took an evil killer and crime boss off Sydney streets, but it allowed the once crime ridden suburb of Cabramatta to be reborn”, and “By ridding the Vietnamese community and Cabramatta of Ngo the area became a colourful piece of multicultural Sydney it is today.”
The following two quotes summarise the findings of David Patten as stated in his report to Chief Justice of New South Wales, the Hon J J Spigelman AC.
“I find that nothing in the matters raised by Mr Selby, or otherwise now available, casts doubt upon, or raises, a sense of unease or disquiet in respect of the conviction of Mr Ngo.”
“It is appropriate that I repeat that nothing which has come before me suggests that the very difficult and complex investigation into Mr Newman’s murder was conducted otherwise than thoroughly and competently by police officers dedicated to the task.”
