The trial of a Sydney man charged with importing 400 kilograms of cocaine on a yacht in 2010 has been aborted after Australian Federal Police denied on oath the existence of certain video footage – only for it to be found on their own website.

The video fiasco was just one of a series of embarrassing revelations for the AFP that came to light in the short-lived trial in the Queensland Supreme Court late last month.

It was also revealed that when AFP officers searched a hire car in which the Sydney man, Simon Charles Golding, was a passenger, they allegedly found 20 kilograms of cocaine in an olive green bag in the boot – but they failed to look inside a second olive green bag clearly visible on the back seat.

The hire car was subsequently parked for three days – unguarded – in the AFP's Brisbane car park. It was only when the hire car company asked for the return of the vehicle that the second bag was opened and found to contain 25 kilograms of cocaine.