![]() "Operation Sandon showed how the corruption risks presented by this conduct were exacerbated by the limited transparency and oversight arrangements governing political staff in Victoria," the report said.ĭespite the damning findings, IBAC does not make any recommendations for criminal charges or further investigation. The millionaire property developer also unsuccessfully attempted to block the release of the report, with the Supreme Court dismissing his request for an injunction. Mr Woodman and his associates were lobbying council for a major residential rezoning of land in Cranbourne West that would have increased the value up to $35 million.Īlthough Mr Woodman and his associates primarily focused their lobbying efforts on ministers, MPs and councillors, they also targeted ministerial advisors and electorate officers. "Operation Sandon established that Casey councillors Sam Aziz and Geoff Ablett actively took steps to promote Mr Woodman's and his clients' interests and received financial and in-kind compensation in return,'' the report said. Three former Liberal Party state candidates, who were also councillors, including the late Amanda Stapledon and Susan Serey are all criticised in the report. While there are no adverse findings against the premier, IBAC makes adverse comments against Mr Woodman, four city of Casey councillors, lobbyists and Labor MP for Cranbourne Pauline Richards. ![]() Politicians from both parties criticised in IBAC report "The investigation also found that Mr Woodman sought to influence state government decision- making by paying lobbyists, and cultivating relationships with or funding state political candidates, political staff, MPs and ministers," the report said. In one incident, IBAC found that Mr Andrews had asked a lobbyist to apologise to Mr Woodman after his government rejected a planning amendment the developer was seeking. Mr Andrews dined with Mr Woodman at private Labor fundraisers and was secretly interviewed by IBAC over his association with the developer. The Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission's investigation also lifts the lid on a pay-for-access culture across both major parties and details how the multi-millionaire developer Mr Woodman, and lobbyists working for him, were able to meet Premier Daniel Andrews through big donations to Labor party entities. "The advice I have is that will be happening very quickly." "Where we have evidence that may constitute a criminal offence we will provide it to the office of public prosecution and it's a matter for them to make a decision about whether there is any public interest and prospects of conviction," he said. Mr Farrow told a press conference that his office would be handing over evidence to prosecutors but could not elaborate about which people might be involved. People caught up in the anti-corruption watchdog probe face potential criminal charges after Acting IBAC Commissioner Stephen Farrow confirmed his office would provide evidence to the Office of Public Prosecutions. "IBAC uncovered a web of well-orchestrated strategies designed to manipulate Casey Council decision-making processes, buy influence and undermine the effectiveness of the Victorian planning system in exchange for certain benefits," the report found. Two City of Casey councillors - Sam Aziz and Geoff Ablett - received more than $550,000 each from Mr Woodman in exchange for support for his plans to rezone tracts of land in Cranbourne West. The long-awaited Operation Sandon report follows 40 days of explosive hearings that unearthed sensational and at times bizarre evidence, from former MPs delivering bags of cash to City of Casey councillors and ferrying suitcases of money, to clandestine meetings in a Subway restaurant, dozens of secretly recorded phone calls and one councillor and former VFL footballer being paid tens of thousands of dollars for a racehorse that never ran. Property developer John Woodman plied suburban councillors with hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for support of his lucrative projects and bankrolled Victorian MPs and candidates in a bid to win planning approvals, a damning report from the state's anti-corruption watchdog has found. ![]()
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