Strickland review reveals new details of John Hanlon’s Germany trip

A review into the bungled ICAC case against a top public servant has revealed new details about his controversial trip to Germany.

Six German companies former Renewal SA boss John Hanlon stated he visited during a taxpayer funded trip to Germany in 2017 told ICAC investigators no such meetings took place, according to a review tabled in parliament.

According to the documents, another said the executive Mr Hanlon claimed to have met with retired two months before the supposed meeting.

Another company’s chief executive said in an affidavit as well as having no record of meeting Mr Hanlon, they did not move to the premises where the meeting supposedly took place until more than a year later.

READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPTS FROM SECRET ICAC RECORDINGS

Mr Hanlon stated when he arrived in Berlin, he visited a group known as the Nine Co-Working Businesses and “met with staff at each of those sites” and was given a tour.

However, ICAC investigators say one provided an affidavit stating that no such meeting occurred and another five confirmed the same by email.

Mr Hanlon’s itinerary stated one of the people he met was Siemens executive Jurgen Schneider – but Siemens officials informed ICAC investigators Mr Schneider had retired from the company two months before the supposed meeting.

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

He was also listed as visiting Betahaus at their Rudi-Deutscheke headquarters but that company’s chief executive provided an affidavit stating it did not move to this address until December 3, 2018, more than a year later.

Former Renewal SA boss John Hanlon outside the District Court after the DPP withdrew all charges against him in November 2022. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

The information is revealed in a review by Philip Strickland into ICAC’s botched investigation of Mr Hanlon following trips to Melbourne and Germany in 2017.

The investigation lead to charges including abuse of office but these were dropped after it was discovered ICAC investigators breached international law in their German investigation.

The investigators had failed to gain the German government’s permission to interview the witnesses and, when told of their breach by the Australia’s consulate general to Berlin, failed to disclose it. A bid to bring the witnesses to Adelaide to give evidence also foundered.

The review, tabled in state parliament, shows Mr Hanlon was to travel to Europe with a ministerial delegation over September 7-19, and his daughter Kate was due to give birth in Berlin on September 23.

His trip was cancelled but rebooked for September 19-28 with an itinerary including Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich and Berlin.

An ICAC analysis of his phone data “indicated he only stayed in Berlin” apart from at the Frankfurt airport hotel before flying home.

ICAC investigators contacted most of the companies Mr Hanlon was listed to visit including one “which provided a signed affidavit which indicated they did not arrange a visit for Mr Hanlon, nor had they ever met with Mr Hanlon.”

ICAC investigator Amanda Bridge reviewed Mr Hanlon’s bank accounts which indicated “all purchases were made in Berlin”, other than one transaction at Frankfurt Airport.

She stated in her affidavit: “Hanlon had travelled to Berlin, Germany on 19 September and returned to Adelaide on 30 September 2017. This trip was represented by Hanlon to Renewal SA staff as an official business trip, however it is alleged the trip was a family holiday for Hanlon to visit his pregnant and expecting daughter, Kate Hanlon in Berlin.”

Neither Kate nor the family was accused of any wrongdoing.

In November 2022, in the District Court – just before the case against Mr Hanlon was dropped – his counsel revealed an ICAC analysis of Mr Hanlon’s phone matched cell towers near multiple German businesses he insisted he had visited.

The court heard it also showed Mr Hanlon’s phone “kilometres apart” from those of his wife and daughter – contrary to prosecution claims he was on a taxpayer-funded personal trip.

David Edwardson KC, for Mr Hanlon, said that document was only provided to his client’s legal team last week – 32 months after his client was charged.

Mr Hanlon – who has always maintained his innocence of claims he spent taxpayer funds on personal interstate and overseas trips – provided his phone data to Mr Strickland showing Berlin phone tower connections indicated “he visited the Nine Co-Working Businesses.”

However Mr Strickland concluded in his review that it meant Mr Hanlon “occasionally travelled near some of the Nine Co-Working Businesses.”

“I have not been provided with any material from the Nine Co-Working Businesses which evidences Mr Hanlon’s attendance at any of those businesses,” his review states.

After the charges were withdrawn the state government paid Mr Hanlon $450,000 for legal expenses and he has launched a multimillion dollar compensation case after losing his $420,000 a year job.