Private detectives find themselves undertaking all kinds of strange cases, and this month we’re looking at two where the names alone made us look twice. The first is the case of a footballer called Beckham. But it’s not David – it’s Odell. The New York Giants signed him for a five year extension contract worth $90 millions, making him the highest paid wide receiver in American football. So far so good, but what’s it got to do with private detectives? Well, one NFL team, knowing that Odell Beckham was up for grabs, hired a private detective to follow him around. And they did that because a video shot in March this year showed him partying with a model and what looked like illegal drugs. The unnamed NFL team clearly wanted Beckham but didn’t want drug allegations against him. And when the private detective gave him a clean bill of health, it appears that was enough for his current team to decide to keep him, rather than transfer him to another team.
Ipswich mayor impersonated private investigator
Yes, we had to look twice at that one too! But it’s not Ipswich in Suffolk, but Ipswich, New South Wales. The former mayor, Paul Pisasale, resigned on 6th June this year and in the aftermath of his departure a range of weird and wonderful stories have emerged, including the private detective claim. Pisasale is being investigated by a Crime and Corruption Commission, a whole series of bugged telephone calls are being used as evidence and at least one of them reveals him calling a New South Wales businessman and claiming to be a PI.
Why would he do that. Well, it’s a murky story. Apparently Pisasale has a female friend called Yiu Tian Li, who had an affair with the businessman and then found out he was married. In stepped Mr Pisasale, pretending to be a private detective, and calling the man to try to recover some money that Ms Li believe she was owed by her former lover.
We’re a little confused to be honest. It’s not clear why the former mayor decided to pretend to be a private detective or why he thought that particular job description would make his request for money more persuasive that simply calling and saying he knew the man had cheated on his wife and should at least repay his mistress. It’s not clear who bugged Pisasale’s phone (one suggestion is that he did it himself and then forgot!) and finally, it’s not clear how he thought he could get away with any of this stuff. Still it’s an entertaining story and we have no doubt there’s more to be discovered, not least because there are now some genuine private detectives on the case, hired by various interested parties to try and pursue separate claims against Pisasale.