Two people, including a former Casey councillor, have been charged from matters arising from the Operation Sandon corruption inquiry.
The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) announced on 3 September that it had charged the unnamed ex-councillor with five offences, including one count of receiving secret commissions and two counts each of misconduct in public office and misuse of position.
A consultant in the “property development industry” was charged with giving secret commissions.
Both of the accused are scheduled to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 25 September.
In July 2023, IBAC released its report on allegations of serious corrupt conduct in relation to planning and property development decisions at City of Casey.
It followed a five-year investigation of property developers, Casey councillors and state MPs, which spanned 40 days of public hearings and seven private examinations.
The report was damning of several key players – with two councillors accused of accepting more than $1.15 million in payments and in-kind support for promoting a developer and his clients’ interests on council.
In the midst of the early public hearings, then-Local Government Minister Adem Somyurek sacked Casey’s councillors and installed a panel of administrators to oversee the council in 2020.
Casey acting chief executive Jen Bednar said that IBAC informed the council that day of charges being laid.
“The City of Casey has cooperated with IBAC relating to these investigations.
“As this is now a criminal matter, that will be presented to the Magistrates’ Court, we are not able to comment further.”
Casey Residents and Ratepayers Association vice-president Anthony Tassone said it was “welcome news for a community that has waited far too long”.
“In June, the (CRRA) wrote to the Victorian Attorney-General expressing the community’s deep frustration with the lack of visible progress from the Office of Public Prosecutions (OPP).
“The laying of charges this week is an important step, but it must only be the beginning.”
Tassone called for the implementation of IBAC’s 34 recommended reforms to “restore integrity to our planning system and rebuild trust in local government”.
“For too long, residents have borne the brunt of decisions tainted by alleged corruption., including having to pay the wages of state appointed monitors overseeing our newly elected councillors.”
Several months ago, IBAC “temporarily” removed the report from its website through an “abundance of caution”, it stated at the time.
