Police bugging scandal probe to continue

NSW Ombudsman Bruce Barbour will appear before a parliamentary inquiry to answer questions about his heavily-criticised investigation of a controversial police phone-tapping operation.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas slammed the Ombudsman's two-year investigation of Operation Mascot when he appeared before the Upper House committee on Friday.

Operation Mascot was an anti-corruption phone bugging exercise mounted by the police internal affairs unit in 2000.

Mr Kaldas was among more than 100 officers who were placed under surveillance during Operation Mascot after warrants were obtained with falsified or misleading affidavits placed before judges, the inquiry has heard.

Targets of Operation Mascot only learned they had been bugged after copies of warrants arrived anonymously by mail from 2002.

The NSW government tasked Mr Barbour with investigating the bugging in 2012.

Mr Kaldas and others have criticised the Ombudsman's probe saying it has targeted whistleblowers rather than wrongdoing by police involved in the operation.

Mr Barbour will appear before the inquiry on Tuesday, followed by NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione on Wednesday.