Looking back at October 4, 1991
A former Figtree police officer accused of robbing a drug dealer has ended up part of a new tabloid TV news show.
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Meni Caroutas was working as a police officer in Kings Cross when the dealer made the accusation, which saw the former get suspended.
He managed to beat the charges, which were dropped and the cops paid him $85,000 to cover legal costs and offered him his job back.
"I told them they could shove it," Caroutas said.
While he was fighting to clear his name, Caroutas made an appearance on the ABC's 7.30 Report.
The executive producer of Hard Copy saw it and offered Caroutas a job on the show.
"I thought he was joking and it wasn't until I had received further phone calls and went to visit him that I knew it wasn't a prank," Caroutas said.
Before joining the police force, Caroutas had harboured dreams of becoming a journalist.
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Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
