Embattled Casey councillor Sam Aziz hits back at council after leave extended
Besieged councillor Sam Aziz, who is hiding out in Egypt amid an IBAC corruption probe, has been granted an extended paid leave of absence after allegedly threatening Casey Council with legal action.
South East
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A councillor at the centre of one of Victoria’s biggest corruption scandals has been granted extended paid leave while continuing to hide out in Cairo, raising the ire of his colleagues.
The Leader understands Cr Sam Aziz had threatened Casey Council with legal action if it refused to extend his leave of absence from December 31 until March 31.
Cr Aziz flew to Egypt late last year before the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission hearings were told he pocketed $900,000 from property developers.
The IBAC hearings were also told Cr Aziz, a former mayor, had received monthly $25,000 payments from developer John Woodman for “expert advice” on smart cities.
It’s understood Cr Aziz had written a lengthy letter to the council’s governance manager Holly De Krester, stating he was unfit to fly from Cairo for health reasons.
He was paid $33,535 in the past financial year, and Ms De Kretser last month said the council was required to continue paying councillors while they were on leave.
At a public council meeting on Tuesday night, Casey councillors voted to grant Cr Aziz’s leave of absence stating medical reasons.
Casey mayor Susan Serey has defended the council’s decision to extend Sam Aziz’s leave, and hit out at MPs who criticised the move.
In an email sent to all state MPs today, obtained by the Herald Sun, Cr Serey said she understood the decision to extend Cr Aziz’s leave was “unpalatable to our community”.
But she said the council was following its legal advice and had “objectively fulfilled its duties” despite “personal feelings” about the matter.
Opposition local government spokesman Tim Smith today reiterated his call for the troubled council to be sacked.
But Cr Serey - who was a Liberal candidate at the 2018 state election - said “recent uninformed comments” were “misplaced”.
“Council has received extensive legal advice to address concerns raised by community member, MPs and media and have found that councils and, in particular, councillors have no legislated options to discipline any councillor with the excepted of a Councillor Code of Conduct Panel which could take at least 4 months to implement,” she said.
“Regardless, it would be inappropriate to impose sanctions when an inquiry has not reached a conclusion or released a final report. The same principle would apply to any body or agency.”
“In these difficult times, Council seeks support from its State Members rather than criticism for carrying out our legislative duties.”
But in a statement on Facebook, Cr Aziz on Tuesday said: “Tonight council approved a further leave of absence for me after I submitted a detailed medical report explaining why I am not able to return to duty at this stage.
“That was a report and not just a ‘medical certificate’.
“I have remained deliberately silent since this ordeal started in November last year, in what has become a media circus, and a savage feeding frenzy by certain fringe groups and keyboard warriors, who have always had an axe to grind.
“It appears that sober and fair assessment has completely gone out the window, despite the undeniable success of the City of Casey, and our obvious record in delivering world class infrastructure and excellent services for our residents, supported by a very efficient and financially lean administration.
“This is a record to which I have made a very significant contribution. These are not my words, but the words of many who are still capable of making rational judgments.
“However, following the denigrating statement by the mayor, I wish to make a few facts clear:
“Firstly, I have every intention of returning to duty, and as soon as I can.
“In fact, I did end the work I have been doing overseas and changed my return flight home from 8 December 2019 to 19 November 2019, and paid a significant non-refundable fare difference to do so. However, I was prevented from boarding the aircraft at check-in due to a very serious cardiac health condition.
“The mayor was given documentary evidence of this flight change, as well as detailed medical evidence of the progress of my health condition.
“All councillors are aware of this medical condition, which was diagnosed in May 2019, whilst I was also overseas on council business.
“On that occasion I travelled to New York to represent the City of Casey as a keynote speaker at a digital transformation conference. During that trip, which the Herald Sun described as a ‘junket’, I arrived on a Sunday, was hospitalised in intensive care by Monday, left hospital the following Saturday, and flew back home on Sunday.
“Accordingly, all I saw of New York was the inside of a hotel room for a day, and the inside of a hospital for five days. That was some junket.
“I was hospitalised again in Melbourne in July 2019 for the same condition, this time for 10 days.
“My colleagues are also aware of significant mental health challenges I have been battling.
“But it is obvious that while some pretend to care about mental health and its tragic consequences, it is hardly genuine. The savagery that I have seen from this process; the inhumane and hurtful commentary; and the disgusting sensationalising of the matters at hand, is like pushing someone off a cliff and then telling them not to hurt themselves on the way down.
“I am most disappointed at the statement by the mayor that ‘all councillors around the table’ resent granting this leave, apparently because of the allegations made against me at IBAC, but feel they had no option but to do so.
“It is convenient for these councillors to cowardly victimise a colleague when he is absent notwithstanding extremely serious illnesses.
“It proves that I have already been trialled and convicted by all, and by a vicious and dishonest media, well before any allegations have even been tested in court.
“I will have far more to say about all of these matters in due course.
“But for now, I ask: where was the bravery of those councillors at the 2012 and 2016 council elections, when I worked day and night to ensure their election, and when they were fully aware of the sources of political donations for their campaigns?
“It is wonderful that they have now suddenly developed a ‘holier than thou’ posture.
“To my colleagues and to the mayor — in my absence I look forward to the day when you can actually supportively lead through adversity, rather than hide behind a cloak of political convenience.”
When contacted by the Leader earlier on Tuesday, Cr Aziz refused to comment, or to confirm his whereabouts, although an international dial tone was heard.
It’s believed councillors were “upset” by Cr Aziz’s letter, saying they felt “helpless”, but would follow council protocol and support his leave of absence if legally obliged to do so.
Pressure is now mounting on the state government to take action against Cr Aziz and the council.
Independent monitor Laurinda Gardner, brought in to examine governance issues at the council, was due to file her report on Friday, but has been given an extension until February 11.
Local Government Minister Adem Somyurek said he expected councillors to “turn up to meetings and do their job”.
“Under the Local Government Act, the office of a councillor becomes vacant if they are absent from four ordinary meetings of the council without obtaining leave,” Mr Somyurek said.
“The municipal monitor will report next Tuesday. I will have more to say once I receive the report.”
Opposition Local Government spokesman Tim Smith said Cr Aziz must return to Australia and face the music at IBAC.
“The minister for local government must use his powers to compel Cr Aziz to undertake his public duties and return to Australia to be questioned in public by the corruption commission.”
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Ratepayers Victoria president Dean Hurlston said if Cr Aziz believed in representing the ratepayers who elected him he would do the “honourable thing” and stand down.
“Cr Aziz seems to be using every mechanism he can to hold on his position at all costs and there are serious legal matters under investigation,” Mr Hurlston said.
“Minister Adem Somyurek needs to immediately step in and stand Cr Aziz aside and any other councillor implicated.”