‘Shouldn’t have done any of this’: Somyurek’s admits his regret

After hours of being grilled about the culture that encouraged staffers to help him amass factional power, Adem Somyurek says he should’ve just “enjoyed being a minister”.

Adem Somyurek has admitted he should have just “enjoyed being a minister” but says that Premier Daniel Andrews was raised in the same environment of factional activity as he was.

Mr Somyurek has been grilled by the state’s corruption watchdog all week over the misuse of taxpayer funds.

On Thursday afternoon the IBAC hearing was played a secretly recorded phone call where he discusses with Marlene Kairouz whether a factional ally would be speaking to the media.

The person, Hamdi Koyu, was a member of the Australia Light Foundation and a staffer in upper house MP Kaushilya Vaghela’s office.

Ms Kairouz is then heard to ask why he doesn’t “hand back” $400,000 in grants provided to the foundation by the state government.

IBAC also heard that Ms Kairouz told investigators in private hearings that Mr Koyu was a good example of someone who had the capacity to do both factional and electoral office work and that both were integral to the job.

After hours of being grilled about the culture that encouraged staffers to help him amass factional power, a frustrated Mr Somyurek admitted he should have enjoyed being a minister rather than being consumed by the activity.

He said becoming a minister was the goal of every MP.

“I really shouldn’t have done any of this, I lost my ministry because of it,” Mr Somyurek said.

Adem Somyurek says he should have just enjoyed being a minister. Picture: AAP

Commissioner Robert Redlich said it was a tragedy that staffers felt they had to do factional work to pass through this same system.

“It is, commissioner,” Mr Somyurek said.

“I told you Mr Andrews went through this apprenticeship, as well.

“They all have. They’ve all gone through it.

“Mr Andrews was doing all the things we’re doing … How do we rationalise it?”

Mr Somyurek agreed with the commissioner that he himself was “living proof” of the consequences of coming up in an unethical culture.

“That’s where the problem lies, and that’s why the problem will continue,” he said.

“The trick is not to think I’m an aberration or an outlier, I am not.

“ I can give you many examples, but I don’t (think) you’re interested, because it’s a public examination.”

Commissioner Redlich referred to comments made earlier in the day about IBAC’s powers.

“If you heard my explanation earlier this afternoon Mr. Somyurek for the limits in terms of what the scope of the public examination is, and I think you understood, you will understand why there are limits,” he said.

There have been repeated calls for Daniel Andrews to front the IBAC probe. Picture: Sarah Matray

WHY DAN ANDREWS MAY DODGE GRILLING

The head of Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog has taken an indirect swipe at the restrictive powers of the agency, pointing out its laws had been further limited and were “onerous”.

It comes as there have been repeated calls for the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission to call further witnesses and factions as part of its branch stacking probe.

This has included calls for Premier Daniel Andrews to appear.

On Thursday, Commissioner Robert Redlich sought to address this commentary by pointing out the restrictions IBAC must follow.

“IBAC may only investigate matters when a reasonable suspicion arises that one or more individuals have engaged in conduct which enlivens our jurisdiction,” he said.

“An examination of witnesses, whether in private or in public, is confined to investigating the conduct of those individuals.”

Commissioner Redlich said this meant it could only explore issues related to the specific issue raised at the start of its investigation.

“No such constraint ordinarily applies to a royal commission who, according to its terms of reference, may explore any evidence that relates to any individuals if that evidence falls within the subject matter,” he said.

Commissioner Redlich said already strict rules on public hearings were made even more tougher with law changes in 2020, against IBAC’s objections.

“The effect of the restriction introduced in 2020 is that for IBAC to compel someone to appear as a witness in the public examination, IBAC must also be satisfied that a public examination can only take place where the subject of the investigation constitutes serious corrupt conduct or systemic corrupt conduct,” he said.

“I should also point out that the other anti-corruption jurisdictions, such as ICAC in New South Wales and the CCC in Queensland are not constrained in the same way in holding public hearings.

“So the totality of the current restrictions to the IBEC in the IBAC Act are onerous.”

Commissioner Redlich said any calls for IBAC to expand its scope should consider the limited powers it had and what laws could be changed to better balance its requirements.

“Those constraints, if they are to be addressed, need to take place through legislative reform,” he said.

SOMYUREK ‘DELETED’ TEXTS

Disgraced MP Adem Somyurek deleted text messages which discussed the forging of signatures for Labor memberships, the state’s anti-corruption watchdog has heard.

The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission has on Thursday probed multiple examples of documents being forged by operatives linked to the powerbroker’s Moderates faction.

This was done largely to ensure non-genuine members were renewed and their ballot papers used to vote and increase the power of the faction in internal party elections.

Adem Somyurek. Picture: David Geraghty

The commission heard that one taxpayer-funded staffer linked to some of these forged signatures had already been interviewed in private hearings.

She told investigators that Mr Somyurek had asked her to “just get it done” in regards to filling out forms, even if they could not track down the people required.

Counsel assisting the commission, Chris Carr SC, also showed IBAC text messages deleted from the MPs phone in which he discussed forgeries.

“(What) I suggest to you, is that you are a party to the forgery of signatures,” he said.

“You are seeking to prevent it from becoming obvious.”

Mr Somyurek denied he had directed taxpayer staffers to lie on these documents, but said it may have been a case of “don’t ask, don’t tell”.

When pushed by Commissioner Robert Redlich, he agreed he had failed in his responsibilities as an MP by allowing this practice to happen.

Chris Carr, SC, showed IBAC text messages deleted from Adem Somyurek’s phone in which he discussed forgeries.

IBAC also heard more details of thousands of dollars in stamps being bought with taxpayer funds and allegedly used to help Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson’s election campaign.

Up to $14,000 in stamps was heard to have been bought in increments using Mr Somyurek’s electorate office budget.

It was revealed that Nick McLennan, a staffer for Marlene Kairouz and key figure in the Moderates, told the watchdog he had been given explicit directions by Mr Somyurek about buying the stamps.

Another text exchange was shown between Mr McLennan and Adam Sullivan, who worked in the powerbroker’s office.

The pair both expressed frustration about a potential ally who claimed to have links to the Chinese community.

They both complained the person wanted a job with Mr Somyurek but wasn’t handing over details of what membership numbers he could bring to their group.

“He doesn’t understand the transaction,” one message read.