▁news letter , ▁Ag ora , ▁which ▁also ▁stated ▁that ▁his ▁father , ▁Fred , ▁was ▁a ▁former ▁Victoria ▁Police ▁Ass istant ▁Commission er , ▁and ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁Australian ▁Bureau ▁of ▁C riminal ▁Int elligence . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁Sil v ester ▁won ▁the ▁Graham ▁Per kin ▁Australian ▁Journal ist ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁for ▁his ▁work ▁covering ▁crime ▁and ▁cor ruption . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁his ▁profile ▁at ▁The ▁Age : ▁John ▁Sil v ester ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁crime ▁rep orter ▁in ▁Melbourne ▁since ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁moving ▁to ▁The ▁Age ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁He ▁has ▁worked ▁with ▁The ▁Sunday ▁Times ▁insight ▁team ▁in ▁London , ▁won ▁an ▁A SE AN - A J A ▁scholar ship ▁to ▁study ▁crime ▁and ▁cor ruption ▁in ▁South ▁East ▁Asia ▁and ▁has ▁given ▁evidence ▁at ▁Royal ▁Comm issions ▁on ▁police ▁cor ruption . ▁Sil v ester ▁has ▁published ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 0 ▁crime ▁books ▁that ▁have ▁sold ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁million ▁copies . ▁He ▁has ▁won ▁three ▁Walk ley ▁awards , ▁six ▁Victor ian ▁Press ▁Club ▁Qu ills , ▁a ▁Ned ▁Kelly ▁award ▁for ▁true ▁crime ▁writing , ▁a ▁Ned ▁Kelly ▁lifetime ▁achiev ement ▁award ▁and ▁nine ▁Victor ian ▁Law ▁awards . ▁He ▁has ▁been ▁jud ged ▁the ▁Graham ▁Per kin ▁Australian ▁Journal ist ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁and ▁has ▁twice ▁been ▁comm ended ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁award . ▁He ▁appears ▁regularly ▁on ▁radio ▁station ▁ 3 AW ▁to ▁discuss ▁crime ▁matters . ▁He