Police to be advised if there is sufficient evidence for red shirts rorts charges

Prosecutors will inform police next week if there is enough evidence to charge three people in relation to Labor’s 2014 red shirts election rorts.

Prosecutors will inform police next week if there is enough evidence to charge three people in relation to Labor’s 2014 red shirts election rorts.

Victoria Police provided briefs of evidence against three people to the Office Of Public Prosecutions for its advice on potential criminal charges last November.

The OPP released a statement today, saying the briefs of evidence against three people have been “considered in detail” and advice will be provided to the chief commissioner by the end of next week.

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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is seen alongside Labor supporters wearing red shirts ahead of last year’s state election. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

“Briefs of evidence and the request for advice in respect to these three individuals have been considered in detail,” the OPP statement said.

“The Director of Public Prosecutions anticipates advice will be provided to the Chief Commissioner of Police in relation to the three individuals by the end of next week.”

Opposition police spokesman David Southwick said Premier Daniel Andrews and his ministers’ refusal to co-operate with the investiagation made the jobs of police and the Director of Public Prosecutions harder.

“We were promised that this investigation would have concluded before the election, and we are now in February and still waiting for answers,” he said.

Yesterday, police chief Graham Ashton said fraud squad detectives would act quickly once it received word from prosecutors.

Speaking to radio station 3AW, Mr Ashton said he was keen to have the matter settled in October.

Victoria Police chief Graham Ashton said authorities would move quickly. Picture: AAP Image/Ellen Smith

“We want the advice … Once we get that advice, we’ll be moving very quickly either way.”

“We won’t keep people in the dark, people will know.”

The police investigation was launched in the middle of last year after Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass found the scheme — which was first exposed by the Herald Sun in 2015 — had involved 21 Labor MPs including six ministers.

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They spent almost $388,000 of taxpayers’ money prior to the 2014 state election to part-pay casual electorate officers who also worked as Labor political campaigners.

Labor paid back the money before the fraud squad launched their investigation and arrested 17 current and former staffers in dawn raids.

Mr Ashton had initially suggested a decision on whether to lay charges would have been made prior to the November 24 state election.

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