Man may be charged over stab claim

POLICE are considering whether to charge an Ipswich man with making a false complaint after he claimed he was stabbed in the face.

The man, who said he was an Indian student at UQ Ipswich, appeared on a TV news bulletin on Saturday night.

He said he had been stabbed in the cheek after a robbery in Ipswich on Friday night.

He was interviewed with his back to the camera and was not named but the stitched wounds were filmed.

However, Detective Inspector Mick Niland said police found reasons to have serious doubts about the man’s version of events.

“A man made a complaint that there was a robbery and as a result he received injuries. We’ve investigated his complaint and have proven his claims to be unfounded,” Insp Niland said.

“Investigators will now prepare a report for the Assistant Commissioner to determine if charges of making a false complaint should be laid.”

Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale was outraged by the development because he was asked for comment about the supposed stabbing on the news bulletin.

“When I was confronted for a comment, I had no choice but to defend the image of the city,” Cr Pisasale said.

“It’s paramount the city is cleared and this guy apologises for what he’s done. He’s a disgrace to the city and more so to the Indian community.”

Cr Pisasale said allegations the student had made a false complaint were very serious given the current tensions between India and Australia.

From Ipswich’s point of view, he said he was adamant it wouldn’t sabotage the city’s good relationship with India.

In January, the Mayor boasted Ipswich was at the forefront of building strong partnerships between Australia and India.

At the time, a new website for promoting harmony between the two countries was launched by Cr Pisasale and chief executive of Dhanush InfoTech DSN Murthy.

Mayor Pisasale was also proud that the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) chose Ipswich as the location for one of their international conferences.