ICAC investigators took taxpayer-funded ‘weekend off’ in Hamburg, Germany, while investigating John Hanlon, court documents reveal

ICAC investigators took a “weekend off” while in Germany searching for evidence that ex-Renewal SA boss John Hanlon misused his travel expenses – and taxpayers footed the bill.

ICAC investigators took a taxpayer-funded “weekend off” in Germany while investigating claims ex-Renewal SA boss John Hanlon had improperly used public money for an overseas trip, court documents reveal.

The documents also show the watchdog’s top investigator, Andrew Baker, suggested extending the trip to two weeks because the original 10-day plan “does not allow for days off”.

The papers disclose no further details of the Hamburg trip apart from a note that “meals and accommodation for two nights” were “paid for by ICAC”.

They do show the duo’s total travel costs, including rooms in a four-star Berlin hotel, were $20,000 – $5000 more than Mr Hanlon was accused of improperly spending.

Former ICAC investigator Amanda Bridge, left, and the watchdog’s director of investigations Andrew Baker, right, outside the District Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire

ICAC’s itinerary is among bundles of documents, tendered in the District Court, that give insight into the investigation of Mr Hanlon.

Another bundle contains email exchanges with supposed witnesses, including a German business “kindly asking” Mr Baker and Amanda Bridge “to stop contacting us”.

“You did not provide us with any proof of your legitimacy, therefore we will not be meeting with you or answering any of your requests any longer,” they wrote.

“If you do not stop contacting us, we will enter legal proceedings.”

Ms Bridge forwarded the email to Mr Baker, adding: “That’s not good news.”

On Wednesday, after 18 months of investigation and 32 months of court hearings, prosecutors withdrew their case against Mr Hanlon, 63, of Goodwood.

They had previously alleged he spent $15,000 of taxpayer funds on personal overseas and interstate trips in 2017 and 2018 – accusations Mr Hanlon has always denied.

Former Renewal SA boss John Hanlon, centre, with his daughter Milli and wife Jenny after the case was dropped. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

The case fell apart in the days leading up to trial, when Ms Bridge and Mr Baker conceded in court they had failed to comply with international law while in Germany.

They did so by interviewing witnesses without permission of the German government, and never took steps to rectify that error.

The court also heard ICAC had been in possession of evidence supporting Mr Hanlon’s claims of innocence since August 2019, but had never disclosed it.

Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Ann Vanstone KC has since denied that was the case, saying it was “not apparent to me that any ICAC investigator acted unlawfully”.

The documents tendered in court show that, on August 15, 2019, Mr Baker wrote to then-Commissioner Bruce Lander about Mr Hanlon’s case.

He said he had read, and agreed with, an earlier memo by Ms Bridge suggesting a trip to Berlin was necessary to resolve “difficulties” gathering evidence from overseas.

Mr Baker wrote it was “important” the case against Mr Hanlon “result in a successful prosecution”. Picture: NCA NewsWire

“The matter is significant in respect of the position that Hanlon held and given the media publicity,” Mr Baker wrote.

“(Given the) attention that has been given to this matter in parliament, particularly by Tom Koutsantonis MP, it’s important that it result in a successful prosecution.”

Mr Baker expressed his belief Ms Bridge should be accompanied by a second investigator and offered a range of candidates including himself.

“I think seven to 10 days is an underestimate and does not allow for any days off,” he wrote.

“I would estimate the time required to be a full 14 days in Germany … in total, I estimate the travel to cost in the order of $20,000.”

The trip was approved and took place from September 7 through September 21 that year – on October 24, 2019, the duo filed a copy of their itinerary.

It records that, while in Berlin, they stayed in the Leonardo Royal Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz – which calls itself a “four-star superior hotel” on its website.

Ms Bridge told Mr Baker a German witnesses’ threat of legal action, in response to their inquiries, was “not good news”. Picture: NCA NewsWire

In answer to the question “was there any private component to the travel”, they circled the word “yes”.

“From September 13, 2019 to September 15, 2019 in Hamburg (weekend off), meals and accommodation for two nights paid for by ICAC,” they wrote.

No other details of the weekend trip are disclosed in any of the documents, except for a single line in Ms Bridge’s case notes that reads: “Bus to Hamburg.”

Ms Vanstone has vowed to oversee a review into the case and produce a report for the agency’s reviewer, former Supreme Court judge John Sulan KC.

SA-Best MLC Frank Pangallo, who has called for a Royal Commission, said that was inappropriate.

“It’s outrageous that she is investigating herself and the office and then going to Mr Sulan, it is contrary to the ICAC Act … it’s not how it’s supposed to work,” he said.