A magistrate has put an end to the criminal case against Canberra Raiders veteran Josh Papali'i over the "cavalier approach" police officers took to the use of an encrypted messaging application.

"The unknown remains unknowable because of an intentional practice of the destruction of evidence," Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker said.

Josh Papali'i, 33, was set to fight charges of intimidating police and failing to leave a licensed premises in an ACT Magistrates Court hearing in August, when defence first raised concerns about the conduct of investigators .

The hearing was adjourned, and a permanent stay application was made instead.

On Friday, October 31, Papali'i was not present in court to hear that stay application being granted and his case being effectively dismissed.

Permanen

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