Arrests made in Labor rorts-for-votes probe

PREMIER Daniel Andrews has refused to comment about dawn raids and the arrest for questioning of former campaign staff as police probe Labor’s red shirts scheme.

PREMIER Daniel Andrews has refused to comment on dawn raids and the arrest for questioning of former campaign staff as police probe Labor’s red shirts scheme.

Fraud and Extortion Squad officers swooped early yesterday to arrest and interview a number of former campaign staff over the rorts-for-votes scheme.

Victorian Labor launched unprecedented criticism of the police, via a statement from state secretary Samuel Rae, that labelled the arrests as “completely unnecessary”.

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Asked his thoughts on the police action, Mr Andrews today referred reporters to the statement.

But he would not say whether he supported the content.

“I agree and support the notion of him (Mr Rae) being able to put a statement out like that,” Mr Andrews said.

“But I’m not going to be drawn to become a commentator on his commentary.

“It’s not appropriate for me to be a commentator on these matters.

“I would simply refer you to the statement that’s been made by the state secretary.”

Mr Andrews also batted away criticism that ministers cancelled events yesterday in the wake of arrests.

Deputy Premier James Merlino, Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford and Employment Minister Ben Carroll were among those who were no-shows at events.

Mr Andrews also skipped the opening night of the Melbourne International Film Festival, which it was expected he would attend.

“I’m not here to comment on diaries, events get rescheduled all the time,” he said.

“There are many more important things to talk about today than ministerial diaries.”

BREAKING: Police have made a number of arrests this morning as part of the Red Shirt rorts investigation.

— James Campbell (@J_C_Campbell) August 1, 2018

Police arrested and interrogated several junior members of Labor’s 2014 team early on Thursday morning, including a “distressed” single ­mother and a man who said he had been strip-searched. The police interviews were focused on the potential creation of false documents.

An Ombudsman’s report found that 21 Labor MPs had hired electorate officers who were diverted to campaign in marginal seats at the last state election.

ALP state secretary Samuel Rae said the party had already told police it would co-operate, and “conducting dawn raids on people’s homes was completely unnecessary, given those involved would have co-operated if asked”.

“We have also received a number of concerning reports about the raids, including that some of those questioned were told by Victoria Police that they did not need legal representation during the interview process,” Mr Rae said.

Whistleblower Jake Finnigan, who worked in Police Minister Lisa Neville’s electorate office for a few days in 2014, while being paid by Sports Minister John Eren, said that he had been “forced to strip down naked” following his arrest.

“I don’t think it’s necessary, but the police are just operating under orders,” he said.

Victoria Police said on Thursday night: “Media and the public can be reassured that proper process has, and will continue to be, followed throughout the course of the investigation.”

But fuming government and Labor sources asked why the “kids” weren’t just given interview appointments. “You do a dawn raid for a terrorist, not a kid who hasn’t filled out their time sheet properly,” one said.

Police revealed it would initially interview 17 people across metropolitan and regional Victoria, NSW, and the Northern Territory.

A police spokesman confirmed that strip-searches were “standard operating procedure” at the Melbourne West custody centre when its cells were used.

“When a person is in custody, and prior to being placed in a holding cell or police jail, it is standard practice to conduct a full safety and evidence search,” he said.

High-profile criminal lawyer Rob Stary, engaged by Labor to advise most of the 17, called the arrests a “spectacle”. He said he would only expect “this sort of raid conducted in cases where there might be an issue of national security”.

Senior ministers were in disbelief late yesterday. One said it was inevitable that MPs and ministers would now be asked for interviews: “Are they (police) going to come banging on our windows?”

Another Labor source said “the kids can’t be charged without the 21 MPs being charged because the MPs signed the same time sheets”.

“This shows that the cops are actually going after all of the MPs, not just John Lenders,” the source said.

Mr Lenders, a former treasurer and Labor Upper House leader, was described by Ombudsman Deborah Glass as the “mastermind” of the scheme.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said Premier Daniel Andrews and his government were in crisis and focused on themselves, not Victorians.

WHISTLEBLOWER HITS OUT OVER ALP RAIDS

A LABOR whistleblower who was strip searched after dawn raids on former campaign staff on Thursday will run for state parliament as an independent.

Jake Finnigan announced he would run in Footscray — an inner-city Labor seat currently held by retiring MP Marsha Thomson — before taking aim at the party he once loved.

He declared his candidacy in the wake of his arrest as police probe Labor’s red shirts scheme.

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Labor whistleblower Jake Finnigan. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Mr Finnigan said he was strip searched and interviewed by the Fraud and Extortion Squad but questioned why more senior members of Labor’s campaign team had not been targeted.

“We shouldn’t be at a point where basically the ground troops are the only people being arrested and taken in for interviewing,” Mr Finnigan said.

“None of the management structure, to my knowledge, has been taken in and asked any questions.

“None of them have been arrested at 6am at their homes, none of them have been stripped searched at a police station.”

He later added: “It will be interesting to see if MPs, ministers of the crown and the architects of this scheme will be treated the same way I was.”

Ahead of the 2014 election, Mr Finnigan was hired to work casually in now Sports Minister John Eren’s office but was instead sent to campaign in Police Minister Lisa Neville’s marginal seat of Bellarine.

Mr Finnigan said he had been quizzed on timesheets and other employment records, and could be charged with making a false document.

“I sincerely hope that they get through this before November (the election) just so people know whether charges are pending against MPs, against candidates,” he said.

“The reality is that it may not be over by then.”

MINISTERS CANCEL EVENTS IN WAKE OF ARRESTS

Earlier on Thursday, senior ministers in the Andrews Government cancelled events across Victoria in the wake of the arrests.

Among those to cancel events were Education Minister James Merlino, who had been due to attend school events in Wonthaggi and Churchill in the Latrobe Valley. .

Some Labor figures are outraged by the fact that the most junior members of the rort were targeted by police, while others are gobsmacked by the escalating crisis engulfing the party.

The force confirmed last Friday it had launched a full-scale investigation into the scheme.

Mr Guy again renewed pressure on the six ministers at the centre of the police probe to stand down.

“Whether it’s red shirts, dogs in cars, presiding officers, printing rorts, releasing staff salary details — this government and its behaviour is the lowest of the low,” Mr Guy said.

“Victorians deserve better.

“The Andrews Government is now in a situation where six of its ministers should stand down immediately.

“That is the right thing to do. The pressure on the Premier and those ministers to do the right thing and stand down should be overwhelming.

“The government can’t sustain this any longer.”

Premier Daniel Andrews said last week that the six ministers at the centre of the probe won’t stand down.

Mr Andrews told media on Saturday morning the ministers would continue to do their job and would fully co-operate with the Victoria Police inquiry.

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