Secret document that could exonerate iCook after slug saga

A Melbourne business that was blamed for a fatal listeria outbreak says there is a secret document that will exonerate them.

A secret document will reveal an elderly woman who died in hospital after contracting listeria had not eaten a sandwich supplied by iCook Foods, the company’s owner says.

iCook Foods founder Ian Cook is demanding the release of a Knox City Council “confidential position paper’’ he says will exonerate his business over the death of an 86-year-old woman in February, 2019.

iCook Foods was shut down after council inspections of its Dandenong South factory following the death. During one of the inspections it is alleged a council health inspector planted a slug on the factory floor.

The confidential paper, requested by iCook under Freedom of Information, was entirely blacked out when released to the company last year. But a man has come forward to say he is aware of the contents of the February 2019 report, claiming the elderly woman was on a ‘’special diet’’

“Knox Council and the Department of Health and Human Services both have unredacted copies of this document,’’ Mr Cook said.

Owner of iCook Ian Cook claims a slug was planted in his factory. Picture: Alex Coppel.

“I’ve now spoken to someone associated with the DHHS and Knox Council who knows exactly what this document says. This person has passed on the same information to two other people, including (state Liberal MP) Georgie Crozier.

“The unredacted document says that the elderly woman whose death was blamed on me actually never ate any food from my business. The elderly woman was on a special diet because she had come into the hospital with diarrhoea, which is a symptom of food ­poisoning.

‘’The hospital kitchen made all the food from scratch, all the food the elderly woman ate. This was confirmed by the author of this document the day before we were closed.”

“The DHHS received this document just hours after they closed me. But instead of admitting its terrible mistake, they sat on the document for two years and then worked with Dandenong Council to destroy my business. This was malicious, this was deliberate and this was a disgrace.”

He has called on acting Premier James Merlino to act.

“If James Merlino doesn’t want to be part of this cover-up he should release this document immediately,” he said.

iCook is suing Greater Dandenong Council for more than $26m. Ms Crozier is on Tuesday expected to call on Mr Merlino and Knox City Council to release the report.