Mullett considered surveillance: Vic court

Ex-police union boss Paul Mullett thought he might have been under surveillance months before he was suspended by former Victoria Police chief commissioner Christine Nixon.

Mr Mullett told the Victorian Supreme Court he first became suspicious in 2007, after incidents at the police association's East Melbourne premises.

He said he wrote to Ms Nixon at the end of 2006, because a former union executive member appeared to be watching the building.

Neighbours saw a person fish documents out of rubbish bins before reading them in the early hours of the morning, Mr Mullett said.

"And of course we advised the chief commissioner, that's a well-known surveillance and investigative technique," Mr Mullett told the court on Wednesday.

He said a union member had also been seen placing a device under a boardroom table.

Mr Mullett is suing Ms Nixon for more than $2 million, saying she unlawfully suspended him in November 2007 and instigated baseless criminal proceedings against him in 2008.

He claims she wanted him removed as police union secretary because he was a vigorous opponent of her bid to make changes in the force.

Mr Mullett was called to give evidence at Office of Police Integrity hearings in 2007.

The OPI was investigating an alleged leak of confidential information relating to Operation Briars, a 2003 murder probe with suspected police links.

Mr Mullett said he had no knowledge of Operation Briars at the time, and didn't know why he was summonsed to give evidence.

On his last day of testifying, Mr Mullett was handed a notice suspending him from the force.

The notice, signed by Ms Nixon, said there was a "reasonable belief" he may have committed an offence, but didn't detail what that was.

Mr Mullett's legal team alleged Ms Nixon penned the notice because it left Mr Mullett little room to appeal.

Mr Mullett was told he could ask for a review, but he said he saw it as futile.

Ms Nixon's barrister, Chris Caleo, QC, said others who might have signed the notice could not do so because they were involved in the investigation.

In July 2008, Mr Mullett was charged with perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The charges were later dropped, but the senior sergeant had already resigned.

The trial continues.