Anti-corruption hearings into Casey Council planning decisions begins with developer set to take stand
Gary Ablett Sr’s brother and one-time mayor of Casey, Geoff, was allegedly paid $60k a year from a property developer — who claims he has an explanation for the payments that sparked a bombshell anti-corruption probe.
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A former mayor who pocketed $900,000 from property developers has bolted to Egypt amid an explosive anti-corruption probe that alleges he wheeled in a suitcase full of cash during one transaction.
Casey councillor Sam Aziz — also alleged to have been handed wads of cash for PhD expenses despite not being a PhD candidate — was set to be grilled by the state’s corruption watchdog over contentious planning decisions.
But yesterday’s hearing was told that shortly after Cr Aziz was interviewed by investigators, he flew to Egypt and it is unclear “if and when he might be returning”.
Another councillor, former Hawthorn footballer and Liberal Party candidate Geoff Ablett, another former mayor of Casey, is alleged to have received $330,000 in years of payments from developers, purportedly to tend for racehorses they co-owned.
The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission inquiry, which threatens to engulf local government and state political parties across Victoria, on Monday heard the money was dished out by Ferrari-loving developer John Woodman and was designed to buy influence.
Mr Woodman, a director at Watsons Pty Ltd, told the hearing his hefty donations were aimed at “good governance”, not vote-rigging.
The development company describes itself as “the pre-eminent consultant to land developers across the Mornington Peninsula and the whole of Victoria”, and its clients include developers Stockland, Villawood, Australand and A.V. Jennings, as well as Lindsay Fox and the Myer, Ansett, Baillieu-Myer and Coles families.
The IBAC probe is focused on three developments in Casey in Melbourne’s outer southeast, including Cranbourne West land rezoning and a major development called the Pavilion estate.
In his opening statement, counsel assisting the hearing Michael Tovey QC said decisions had been made by councillors who had not declared they were receiving gifts from project partners.
The common thread was Mr Woodman.
“Benefits ranged from what appears to be patently corrupt cash payments through structured arrangement designed to disguise the flow of funds from Mr Woodman or Woodman-related entities,” Mr Tovey said.
Sensational allegations aired on day one of public hearings included that Cr Aziz wheeled a suitcase containing $600,000 into a meeting with Mr Woodman to discuss a “loan” repayment plan
The hearing was told Mr Woodman had delivered political donations worth $400,000 at the past three elections and $150,000 in 2018, including to Labor’s Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards.
When questioned, Mr Woodman said: “I have never paid to convince councillors to vote a certain way.”
IBAC is investigating whether Mr Woodman’s payments helped sway councillors or created a “bloc” of votes that would support his developments.
Its forensic auditors uncovered a trail of money worth at least $1.2 million.
Mr Tovey said the investigation “raises a disturbing level of suspicion around the relationship between certain councillors and individuals involved in property development”.
The hearing was told Cr Aziz allegedly handed the suitcase of cash to Mr Woodman in order to get $15,000 a month in “repayments”. Asked whether this could be related to Cr Aziz hiding money from his wife, Mr Woodman said he didn’t know and he hadn’t asked where the $600,000 came from.
Another agreement Cr Aziz held with Mr Woodman was for “expert advice” on smart cities, related to a project in the City of Wyndham that his companies were spruiking.
Mr Woodman said he was paying $25,000 a month for the advice, based on the notion Cr Aziz was doing a PhD. He said $2000 of the $25,000 was delivered in cash, “normally” by former councillor and state MP Lorraine Wreford, for “miscellaneous expenses”.
The hearings continue.
PROPERTY DEVELOPER EXPLAINS HIS ANNUAL PAYMENTS TO COUNCILLOR
Former Hawthorn VFL player and Casey councillor Geoff Ablett, a one-time mayor of the municipality, was allegedly paid $60,000 a year by a property developer — who says the money was for tending to horses they co-own.
The payments were arranged by John Woodman, a Ferrari-driving director of development company Watsons.
He told an Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission hearing on Monday he first bought a horse with Cr Ablett in 2012.
Mr Woodman said the money was used for the care of the animals, as well as to fund the assessment of potential equine purchases.
Cr Ablett, who contested the seat of Cranbourne for the Liberal Party in 2010 and 2014, is the brother of troubled AFL great Gary Ablett Sr.
An accomplished footballer himself, he played 229 games in the 1970s and 1980s — largely for Hawthorn.
The corruption watchdog alleges Geoff Ablett received more than $330,000 from Mr Woodman, his associated entities, or his representatives.
“The payments are just some of the devices used to provide benefits to councillors,” counsel assisting the hearing, Michael Tovey, alleged in his opening address.
During the hearing, Mr Tovey questioned Mr Woodman about his share of one particular “racehorse”, Prima Facie.
This cost him $15,000 for a 30 per cent interest, and Mr Woodman said it was one of three he owned with Cr Ablett.
Asked why he had bought a 4½-year-old gelding that was unraced, Mr Woodman said the breeding was a factor.
“It’s an unraced horse whose mother has shown considerable potential,” he said.
He said he had a “legal agreement” with Cr Ablett to pay him to maintain the animals.
At some point he made it a condition of the agreement that the councillor would remove himself from council decisions related to his property interests.
Asked whether this was around the time of the Ombudsman’s attention on Cr Ablett’s conduct as a councillor, Mr Woodman did not directly answer but said it may have been in 2015.
Despite the unsuccessful run with horses such as Prima Facie, the relationship continued and the most recent purchase was of a foal.
Mr Woodman said he had stumped up the $5000 for that, and that “I have paid for his share”.
While Cr Ablett ran for state parliament in 2010 and 2014 for the Liberals, Mr Woodman said he had shared the love around between parties when it came to political donations.
He said he had been donating to politicians since the 1990s, and that this included recent elections.
“I think for the state election in 2018, combined, we would have — I would have — spent in excess of $150,000,” he said.
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This included Labor’s candidate and now state MP Pauline Richards.
Mr Woodman said there was no expectation that Ms Richards would support his company’s position on the development of the Cranbourne West C219 proposal, for the rezoning of key land.
But he said: “We explained to her (Ms Richards) what we were trying to achieve, which her previous representative Jude Perera had tabled at parliament.”
This included petitions of 800 to 1000 people who were supportive of the rezoning of the land from industrial to residential, he said.