Peter Savage Books

The "real" story behind the book....

The second edition of the book, soon to to be available on Amazon, offers far more than a firsthand account of humanitarian aid during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It evolves into a startling expose of institutional failure, corruption, and personal resilience. It ends, ultimately, with the aurthors full acquittal in the Perth Magistrates Court after being falsely accused of fabricating a threat—an ordeal that shines a harsh light on the conduct of the Western Australia Police Force and associated organisations.

In early 2022, shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the aurthor volunteered as a civilian chaplain, supporting humanitarian aid efforts from Australia into Kyiv and the Donbas region. Working with organisations including UK Aid, the Red Cross, and St Sophia Cathedral, he played a vital role in establishing secure humanitarian routes in a rapidly deteriorating conflict zone.. His mission was disrupted when he was injured in Lviv during an attack by a known organised crime group posing as an NGO at the catholic college.

After returning to Australia and recovering from his injuries and exposure to the fall out of the Bucha massacre, he was encouraged to establish a not-for-profit organisation with an associate who had initially recruited him establishing a not for profit company, Funds for Community Aid Ltd in early 2023. However, the charity’s integrity quickly unravelled when Mr Nye the CEO, of the organisation, entrusted with managing charitable donations, allegedly diverted donations into his personal bank account, bypassing all company oversight.

Disturbed by this conduct and mounting concerns from fellow volunteers and donors, the author resigned focusing on the ongoing aid mission. After a short campaign of threats and harassment directed at both him and his wife, a number of witnesses confirmed the threats against him, with one witness stating they had been solicited to physically harm him.

In April 2023, the Author reported a threatening letter to the West Australian Police, providing witness statements and evidence relating to the financial fraud and harassment, however, rather than investigate the origin of the threat, the Police, (WAPOL) charged him with allegedly fabricating the letter to create a false belief.

At the same time, after returning to Ukraine to progress the aid efforts, the author was awarded an international humanitarian award by St Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv in association with Chaplaincy Australia.

The betrayal

Shocked by the betrayal of his colleage and lack of accountability, the author resigned. But the fallout escalated. As detailed in the memoir, he and his wife soon became targets of increased harassment and threats, with multiple independant witnesses later confirming that threats had been made to cause him physical harm. In April 2023, after receiving another threatening letter, he reported it to the police. What followed, however, turned the narrative of a humanitarian into that of a falsely accused man.

Instead of investigating the threat’s origin, the Police charged the Author with fabricating the threatening letter.  Throughout this time, as recounted in the book, he remained committed to his humanitarian calling. He returned to Ukraine and continued his service to the people of Ukraine and working with members of the Irish community and Interpol to expose the crime gang in Lviv.

The latter chapters of the book are devoted to the legal battle that followed. In court, the Magistrate delivered a scathing critique of the police investigation, citing serious lapses in procedure and the misrepresentation of DNA evidence by a senior detective—conduct she described as “highly concerning.” Ultimately, the court found no case to answer, and the aurthor was fully acquitted of all charges.