Hotel inquiry calls for more information from Victoria Police after closing submission
The hotel inquiry has asked for more information about the phone records of former Victoria Police chief Graham Ashton after an explosive closing submission.
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The hotel inquiry has demanded more information from Victoria Police, following the force’s explosive closing submission that former chief Graham Ashton found out private security would be hired within six minutes of texting senior bureaucrat Chris Eccles.
The board of inquiry is understood to have written to police on Friday night seeking further information on who hired private security, and what efforts had been made to obtain Mr Ashton’s incomplete records from Telstra.
However it’s thought the inquiry did not seek further call logs from any police officers, including Mr Ashton, who claims he does not remember who told him private security would be hired, Chief Commissioner Shane Patton, or Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent, who had written an email claiming someone from the Department of Premier and Cabinet had called him late on March 27 to discuss private security. This claim was walked back by Mr Patton.
“We have prepared a response which confirms that Victoria Police does not possess any further information in relation to who made the decision to engage private security,’’ a police spokesman said.
“The (board of inquiry) has also asked for details on our engagement with Telstra about the incoming call records for Mr Ashton.
“We have advised the BOI that this matter was raised with Telstra in phone calls which confirmed our understanding that there was no relevant legal basis on which the call records could be provided to us.’’
The inquiry, chaired by retired judge Jennifer Coate, is resisting intense pressure to re-open public hearings and is instead working behind the scenes to attempt to plug gaps in the evidence the inquiry uncovered in its final two weeks. It has so far failed to uncover who decided to hire private security.
Asked if they would re-open public hearings, an inquiry spokesman said: “The Board’s position is that it would be inappropriate to comment.”
The Herald Sun can also reveal the state’s anti-corruption commission quietly wrote to the inquiry earlier this year detailing corruption risks within the public sector, ahead of crucial hearings which have so far seen Heath Minister Jenny Mikakos and the head of the public service Mr Eccles resign.
In a rare move, the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commissioner Robert Redlich QC sent an unprompted letter to Ms Coate, providing information on corruption risks during times of emergency and outlining what would constitute illegal behaviour or misconduct by public servants.
It is understood the commission is watching proceedings closely and will investigate if misconduct is flagged in Ms Coate’s findings, which are due to be handed down by November 6.
An IBAC spokesperson confirmed the commission had contacted the inquiry but said an official submission had not been made.
“As part of IBAC’s role in exposing and preventing corrupt conduct across the Victorian public sector, we have more broadly shared with the inquiry information on a number of investigation and research reports IBAC has produced in recent years.”
“IBAC has also recently published guidance for state and local government on key corruption risks and mitigation strategies during times of emergency or crisis, such as the COVID-19 operating environment.”
A number of other troubling developments have emerged since the inquiry began public hearings, on August 17, including:
MR ECCLES’ sworn evidence that his phone records didn’t show he had called Mr Ashton on March 27. A renewed call for records at the weekend showed he had in fact called Mr Ashton, leading to Mr Eccles’ immediate resignation yesterday;
EMERGENCY Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp forgetting to tell the inquiry he met with Mr Ashton and Police Minister Lisa Neville at 2pm on March 27, and only recalling the meeting after Mr Ashton lodged his statement detailing it;
FORMER Health Minister Jenny Mikakos urging the board to treat “with caution’’ Mr Andrews’ evidence that he didn’t know private security was to be used;
A FAILURE by the board to call any of Mr Andrews’ private staff as witnesses; and,
THE overwhelming evidence that the decision to use private security was made hours before the 4.30pm State Control Centre meeting that counsel assisting the inquiry has suggested settled the idea
Meanwhile Victorian Parliament’s Public Accounts and Estimates Committee will grill ministers and senior officer holders for a third time over the Government’s COVID-19 response, with Mr Crisp expected to be recalled for evidence.
He last week retracted his earlier evidence, saying although he had regularly briefed Police Minister Lisa Neville as hotel quarantine had been set up, he had in fact not briefed his minister.
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