Melbourne printing company says it knocked back dodgy ‘proposal’ by former Victorian Labor MP

UPDATE: A SECOND printing firm embroiled in the Cash For Stacks scandal being probed by state parliament says it knocked back an inappropriate deal with a late Labor Party MP.

The late George Seitz, Labor MP and powerbroker.

A SECOND printing firm embroiled in the Cash For Stacks scandal being probed by state parliament says it knocked back an inappropriate deal with a late Labor Party MP.

Cheson Printing & Publishing was named in parliament on Thursday in relation to the probe. Its manager, Gary Celebioglu, has insisted all its operations, including work done for sitting MPs, are above board.

But Mr Celebioglu has claimed a “proposal was put on the table” when his firm was doing work for then Labor MP and powerbroker George Seitz, who died in 2015.

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The rejection of the proposal prompted Mr Seitz to end the business relationship, he said.

“We suspected something might have been happening,” Mr Celebioglu said.

“There were a few things asked of us, and we didn’t want to go down that path.

“We didn’t have much to do with George from then on.”

The late George Seitz, a former Labor MP and powerbroker.

Mr Celebioglu declined to elaborate, and said he was upset that the printing business had been embroiled in the controversy.

Mr Seitz, who represented the seat of Keilor and was a notorious branch-stacker, claimed in the weeks before his death that he had helped federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten win his seat of Maribyrnong in 2006.

Parliament is investigating printing invoices which it is alleged were falsified to enable taxpayers’ money to be used to pay for ALP memberships.

Deputy president of the Legislative Council Khalil Eideh was named in parliament as one MP whose office had sent allegedly false invoices from F & M Printing for work which may have not been carried out — claims the printing business has denied.

Mr Eideh also claimed he had no knowledge of any rort and has now asked parliament to conduct a full audit of his electorate office spending.

Deputy president of the Legislative Council Khalil Eideh. Picture: AAP

The Upper House was told the probe had also discovered two other Labor MPs had used the same firm, but it is understood their spending appeared small and legitimate.

ALP whistleblowers told the Herald Sun rorting of taxpayer funds to pay for party memberships in the federal seats of Maribyrnong, Scullin, Gorton and Calwell was widespread.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said one invoice showed letterhead costs “at least 10 times market rates”, and Premier Daniel Andrews should call in police to investigate. Mr Andrews said he had faith in the probe by parliament’s presiding officers.

“There’s nothing funny about this. It should be dealt with properly and it is,” he said.

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