Anti-corruption bodies have the power to ruin lives, and that’s what the ICAC botch did | Caleb Bond

What John Hanlon faced was little more than a witch hunt against an experienced and distinguished public service boss, writes Caleb Bond.

Supposed anti-corruption commissions have the power to ruin lives on the basis of little evidence.

That’s what ICAC did to former Renewal SA boss John Hanlon. It, along with the Director of Public Prosecutions – which has now twice failed in its pursuit of Mr Hanlon through the criminal courts for allegedly misappropriating public money for personal travel – should be deeply ashamed.

What Mr Hanlon faced was little more than a witch hunt against an experienced and distinguished public service boss. Why ICAC and the DPP pursued this case so hard – despite having already dropped the case against him, despite charging, dropping and never recharging former Renewal SA executive Georgina Vasilevski with a similar crime, and despite having to obtaining interviews from overseas without complying with international law in an effort to bolster their case – remains a mystery.

What isn’t a mystery is what all this has done to Mr Hanlon. He lost his job and was dragged through the mud for four years.

Former Renewal SA boss John Hanlon, right, outside the District Court with his barrister David Edwardson KC after the DPP withdrew all charges against him. Picture: Brenton Edwards

It goes back to 2018 when he and Ms Vasilevski were accused of taking taxpayer-funded trips for private purposes. Mr Hanlon was accused of misappropriating more than $15,000 for a trip to Europe and another to Melbourne, while Ms Vasilevski was pursued only for the Melbourne trip – worth a little over $1000.

They were also accused of dodgying up documents to cover their tracks. Those cases ultimately fell apart in court last year when the prosecution had to embarrassingly admit that they actually had no evidence that work was not performed on the trips. In other words, it was based on a hunch – and a pretty flimsy one at that.

And now Treasurer Stephen Mullighan, who was then the minister responsible for Renewal SA, confirmed to the court that he approved Mr Hanlon’s European itinerary.

The Adelaide Magistrates Court found they had no case to answer – because there was no evidence, which is pretty important in a criminal case.

Despite this, former prosecutor Sandi McDonald KC reopened the case against Mr Hanlon in the District Court – a day before she was appointed a Supreme Court Justice.

ICAC Ann Vanstone. Picture: Tony Lewis Photography

Again, the case fell apart this week because it emerged that ICAC had interviewed witnesses in Germany without asking the permission of the German government and kept quiet about it for three years.

They were even warned by the Australian consulate general to Germany and yet they did nothing. Even better, they had not disclosed evidence since 2019 that showed Mr Hanlon had, in fact, been on official business and wasn’t near his family, blowing a hole in the allegation he was on a personal trip.

Mr Hanlon says the botched investigation stemmed from complaints by aggrieved former staff.

Whatever the reason for this wrongful, bumbling failure of a witch hunt, both former commissioner Bruce Lander and current ICAC boss Ann Vanstone KC need to be brought to account. Ms Vanstone should resign. How can we trust an anti-corruption body that doesn’t disclose evidence and ruins lives without a case?