Daniel Andrews quizzed by IBAC over corruption within Labor Party; Adem Somyurek’s fury over report leak

Martin Pakula has said pundits will determine if an anti-corruption probe will hurt Labor’s election campaign as he joined the Premier in evading IBAC queries.

Senior Andrews government minister Martin Pakula says it will be up to pundits to determine whether an anti-corruption probe into Labor’s conduct will hurt the party in the lead-up to the November election.

“That’s really for others to judge about political impact of commentary,” he said.

Mr Pakula on Friday followed Daniel Andrews in dodging questions about IBAC and a looming final report, arguing now was not the time to publicly comment on the matter.

“As the Premier said yesterday, at some point a report will be handed down and that’ll be the appropriate time to make commentary on it,” he said.

“At the moment all there really is a newspaper report which claims to have seen a draft. I just don’t think I can comment on newspaper reports of a draft.”

Daniel Andrews was secretly grilled by IBAC. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Asked if he was asked to front IBAC as a witness, Mr Pakula responded: “That’s a neat trick because it’s easy to line MPs up one after another and say ‘were you interviewed or not?’

“Some might say ‘no’, and some might say ‘no comment’ and people will draw conclusions from that, and they’re wrong conclusions.

“I’ll make the point that when it is released, all of that will become crystal clear.”

Andrews dodges questions on probe

Daniel Andrews has refused to answer questions over his involvement in the anti-corruption probe and faces a call to stand down from the top job.

The Premier stubbornly ­refused to discuss his private grilling by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, but slammed claims he led a corrupt government.

Damning interim findings, leaked ahead of the tabling of a final ­report in parliament, found wrongdoing and the likely misuse of publicly funded staff across Labor’s factions.

Former Labor powerbroker Adem Somyurek claimed IBAC was protecting the Premier by ­allowing him to give evidence in secret.

In response, Mr Andrews said on Thursday: “Let me make it very clear to you that I’m not making any comments about these matters.

“You can construct as many questions in as many ways as you see fit. What I’m not prepared to do is be running a commentary.

“This process is not finished – when it is finished, we will be able to talk about it.”

If Dan was grilled by IBAC why wasn’t it done publicly. Dan knows a lot about branch stacking & SL operatives organising the SL from MPs including ministers offices. The threshold question is did IBAC investigate Dans faction? Don’t be fooled by todays drop IBAC is protecting Dan

— Adem Somyurek MP (@AdemSomyurek) April 28, 2022

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy called for Mr ­Andrews to stand down.

“He should stand down. He has presided over a culture of corruption, he cannot be trusted to fix this mess,” he said.

“How can you trust Daniel Andrews to fix our state when the corruption watchdog has found Labor is rotten to the core?

“Victorians need a leader totally focused on Victoria’s recovery and rebuild. That can’t happen with a premier at the centre of a corruption scandal.”

Questions have been raised about why Mr Andrews was not questioned at a public examination, and how a copy of the ­interim report came to be leaked. Parties involved in the corruption probe, dubbed ­Operation Watts, were on Thursday considering making a formal complaint to the Victorian Inspectorate over the handling of the matter.

The move could cast doubt over the integrity of the probe, triggered by a complaint from Mr Andrews in 2020 over ­accusations of branch stacking by Mr Somyurek.

Senior barrister Paul Hayes, QC, said the Premier should have been required to give evidence at a public hearing, as occurred with other witnesses who gave evidence.

“Why is it that there have been secret hearings,” he said.

Daniel Andrews has refused to comment. Picture: David Crosling

“Without commenting on the merits of any determination, focusing purely on the process, the whole point of having an anti-corruption commission is to disinfect corruption by bringing light to the activity under investigation, if it is corrupt.

“No one should be afraid of transparency. If the activity under investigation isn’t corrupt then what’s there to be scared of?

“Alternatively, if the activity which is being investigated is corrupt, surely the public is ­entitled to see the hearing and process through which the anti-corruption commission ultimately makes its findings.”

An IBAC spokeswoman ­refused to answer specific questions on the matter.

But she said IBAC must ­receive strong evidence to support an allegation before it considered holding a public examination of a witness.

During a heated press conference on Thursday, Mr ­Andrews denied there was a pattern of corrupt behaviour within his government, evident in the Ombudsman’s “red shirts” probe and ongoing IBAC investigations into ­developer donations and the United Firefighters Union.

Mr Andrews has denied there was a pattern of corrupt behaviour within his government.

“That’s completely, utterly wrong,” Mr Andrews said.

“I don’t reckon I could be any clearer than that.”

Asked about allegations of corruption and failures of leadership in the Labor Party, Mr Andrews pointed to an audit of the Victorian branch.

“I’ve taken various steps and I think they’re well known to you,” he said.

Asked if he led an unethical government, Mr Andrews said the question was “a ridiculous suggestion”.

It is understood Mr ­Andrews was one of at least six current or former ministers ­interviewed in the corruption probe into the misuse of public money.

But Labor sources said that by interviewing Mr Andrews behind closed doors, IBAC left itself open to a perception of bias. Several party figures said the draft report indicated the federal intervention into Labor’s Victorian branch – ­ordered by the Premier and federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese – had fallen short in cleaning it up. In damning public hearings, IBAC heard weeks of evidence that showed staffers regularly helped their bosses amass factional power while on taxpayer time.

This included allegations they were directed to help in branch stacking operations, fill out internal party ballots on behalf of members and pay for memberships of people who had no idea they were still in the Labor Party. The investigation focused on Mr Somyurek and the Moderates faction he controlled. In December, IBAC and the Ombudsman wrote to MPs asking for feedback on how to stop the brazen misuse of taxpayer resources.

MP says IBAC giving Premier cover

Former Labor powerbroker Adem Somyurek has lashed out at the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission over the leaking of an interim report amid concerns witnesses had been denied their right of reply.

Mr Somyurek on Thursday said: “IBAC is running a protection racket for Premier Daniel Andrews and his Socialist Left faction.”

Disgraced former Labor Minister Adem Somyurek has lashed out at IBAC. Picture: David Geraghty

The agency has sent out its initial findings into Operation Watts, which focused on the misuse of taxpayer resources.

Mr Somyurek was central to the probe and, along with members of his Moderates faction, was grilled publicly over the use of taxpayer-funded staff for political work.

The interim document was provided to witnesses and those accused of wrongdoing so they could rebut information or take legal action before the final report was published.

But details were leaked to the media on Thursday, prompting a backlash from Mr Somyurek, who questioned the integrity of the agency.

“I think IBAC dropped it as part of their self promotion,” he said. “I want a full and thorough investigation. I think it’s outrageous that they’re unaccountable. There goes our natural justice.”

The IBAC’s own legislation has protections in place to ensure those called by the commission have the chance to reply to accusations in a final report.

It also a serious offence to disclose details while parties are bound by confidentiality requirements.

Mr Somyurek said he was weighing up his options over what action to take.

“The whole thing is comical,” he said.

Writing on Twitter, Mr Somyurek was also critical of Premier Daniel Andrews being interviewed in private hearings, given others were interviewed on a livestream.

“If Dan was grilled by IBAC, why wasn’t it done publicly?” he wrote.

“Dan knows a lot about branch stacking and SL (Socialist Left faction) operatives organising the SL from MPs including ministers’ offices.

“The threshold question is, did IBAC investigate Dan’s faction?

“Don’t be fooled by today’s drop, IBAC is protecting Dan.”