The parliamentary secretary for police, Mr Tilley leaked to the media — without Sir Ken’s approval — excerpts of a private email sent by the policeman to his wife.

In the email, Sir Ken outlined bungled circumstances that led to a February meeting with the Premier’s chief-of-staff, Michael Kapel, and his concerns that the government had misinterpreted his actions.

The revelation, five months after the Office of Police Integrity began an inquiry into claims Sir Ken leaked information to the media, suggests it was the government, not Sir Ken, behind the leaks.

Sir Ken could not be contacted yesterday. Mr Tilley has apologised to him for making public the email.

The investigation has confirmed that Tristan Weston, a former adviser to Police Minister Peter Ryan already implicated in the Sir Ken affair, leaked information to

the media he obtained from Sir Ken and other police.

This was done without Sir Ken’s knowledge.

Mr Weston is understood to have leaked details about ex-police commissioner Simon Overland’s handling of Operation Barrot, which was an inquiry into

the sending of pornographic or racist emails by police.

One of the police officers accused of sending the explicit emails later committed suicide.

Fairfax has found no evidence that Sir Ken leaked information to the media — the allegation made against him to the OPI in May by Mr Overland.

The actions of Mr Weston and Mr Tilley have been examined by the OPI as part of its controversial probe into Sir Ken, an inquiry that has involved the bugging of Sir Ken and his wife’s phones.

Mr Weston, a policeman who had taken leave to work as an adviser to Mr Ryan, quit the force after some of the details uncovered by the OPI were given to senior police.

He is on extended leave from his government job.

In regard to Mr Tilley’s leaking, Fairfax has confirmed that Sir Ken provided the Liberal MP with a copy of his email soon after his February meeting with Mr Kapel.

Sir Ken did so after he became concerned about how the meeting could be perceived if it were made public.

He had sought the meeting after being told by a third party that the state government wanted to hear from him.

It was only after the Kapel meeting, in which Sir Ken raised concerns about the direction of the force, that Sir Ken learnt no one in the government had sought to meet him and the meeting had been arranged without the knowledge of Premier Ted Baillieu and Mr Ryan.

In the email excerpts Mr Tilley leaked to the Sunday Herald Sun, Sir Ken wrote of his concern that the meeting had occurred without Mr Ryan’s knowledge and that the Deputy Premier had reacted angrily when learning of it.

“I don’t think there was any intention to fix me up, but because there has now been a row between Ryan and others I could end up getting burned. If they have told Overland then I am toast,” the email stated.

Sir Ken gave a copy of this email to Mr Tilley to ensure the state government was aware of the circumstances surrounding the meeting.

He later told Mr Tilley to keep it confidential. But Mr Tilley ignored this request.

The publishing of the email was a disaster for the government and Sir Ken.

It led to the opposition accusing Mr Kapel of incompetence and critics of Sir Ken claiming the email showed the former deputy commissioner conspired to undermine Mr Overland.

Sir Ken’s decision to raise concerns about Mr Overland’s leadership with the government came after he had told Mr Overland of his intention to resign and after he had tried unsuccessfully to interest the OPI in his concerns.

The OPI has been strongly criticised for using its powers to intercept phone calls and conduct surveillance to investigate Sir Ken for alleged leaking.

State Ombudsman George Brouwer is investigating the OPI over abuse of telephone intercept powers.

Mr Tilley, who declined to comment yesterday, is believed to have told Sir Ken that he thought the email’s release would benefit Sir Ken and that he deeply regretted breaching his confidence.

THE AGE