Zev if you wish to full file published on this list I will do so. Keith. From: Zev Sent: Sunday, June 13, 2004 5:29 PM Subject: impropriety in DVA and VVCS G'day all, This problem of impropriety within DVA is a problem and I have been working on the issue since July last year. Have a look at a Claim for Pension/Increase form and have a look at the last page where you sign. On the fifth dot point it states _"I consent to the release of medical, clinical or other information to the Department (Note it states TO the Dept.) by any medical practioner, hospital, clinic, insurance company, Centrelink, the Departmnet of Defence or other organisation. in relation to this claim or its review." Followed by Claimants signature. This is a release by the applicant for apprpriate information to go TO the DVA only, in order to investigate your claim/case. It is NOT a release for the DVA to GIVE the information on its file about you to anybody else. The two cases I am working on have gone to Vale and Brough for investigation and for further investigations to both the Comm. Ombudsman (C'berra) and/or the Fed. Police. What has been happening and has happened in these two cases I am pursuing is - To knock cases of PTSD on the head it has been found (by DVA) that the story by the veteran, which will be anecdotal as told to a shrink, will be passed to the Army History Unit in C'berra where Major Tillbrook will run it past his researchers (himself) to check validity (or otherwise) and make a report stating (as desired by DVA) that the events couldn't or didn't happen. AHU has been overwhelmed with about 1,500 such requests over the last 3 or 4 years and Tillbrook's predecessor got crook and took LWOP but has since died. Tillbrook who is an ARES Major but apparently served in WKshops in SVN, took the FTD job but quickly pleaded that he had too much work on his plate due to the DVA. Tillbrook then "sub-contracted" (as it were) to a company called Writeway Research based at Tuross Heads in NSW S coast. Writeway letterhead has a PO Box address only, no telephone number but an ABN #. Writeway is ghost headed by a Commodore (R) Philip M Mulcare who then locates "expert opinion" former officers to comment on the claimants stories. What happens is that DVA copies the Medical in Confidence psych report with the anecdotal story, sends it to AHU (this has since been bypassed direct to Writeway), who then sent it to Writeway for comment by "experts" who basically shot down any diggers stories. The information sent is Confidential and is NOT to go out from the DVA as they have no release from the claimant to do so - breach of the Privacy Act. Major Tillbrook was investigated by me in order to prosecute a case at the AAT and I cross examined Commodire (R) Mulcare who under oath admitted that Writeway was not owned by him but was in fact owned by Major Tillbrook - Conflict of Interest. To make matters worse, the "experts" are plainly wrong. One case of mine has the Exec Offr of HMAS Sydney on it's first tour with 1 RAR in '65 and the Cargo Officer both stating quite clearly that NO DUKW's were carried on Sydney and that the claimant did not go through the experiences as detailed in the psych report which they had access to (illegally). The VRB threw this one out and they were enraged at the "innaccuracy for a fee" report by Writeway. One other case has Army fax letterhead from Tillbrook to senior retired Maj Gen's asking for "expert"opinion on behalf of DVA with answers to go to a particular phone/fax number which turns out to be Writeway. This all came out under cross examination from Mulcare under my "gentle" silver tongue. The "experts" stated that certain equipment was not present or used yet I had photos from the Aust War Memorial archives within 4 days absolutely refuting what Writeway had reported (for a fee) to DVA. The AWM also offered a 16mm film showing the DUKW's being lowered/loaded with troops in Vung Tau harbour. The "experts" for Writeway categorically denied (on paper) that this equipment was even there despite that they have far greater access to the AWM than I ever will. DVA then commissioned a Supplementary Report from Writeway who proceeded to f...k it up again. This is all to avoid having to pay out pensions/compensation to veterans. The information on one of those cases was given to Vale last July. She got it all again (but with an extra case) last December. Lat week I got a mealy mouthed response which didn't address seriously, any of the above. I got the above to Brough (my local Fed MP and Min Def Jnr) because of Tillbrook last December, so far nothing from either. It's not as though I let them get on with it as I am constantly on their case, naggin' me nuts off - and that pisses me right off too. Next step is the Feds and/or Comm Ombudsman. Keith, I have the complete file should you want to verify what I say. Zev Ben-Avi
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