Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton says rorts probe likely to wrap up before November election

POLICE are likely to decide whether or not to lay charges over Labor’s red shirts rort before next month’s state election.

POLICE are likely to decide whether or not to lay charges over Labor’s red shirts rort before next month’s state election.

With just 37 days until Victorians head to the polls, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton today confirmed that the fraud and extortion squad was on track to finish its investigation within weeks.

Police have spent about three months formally investigating the scheme, which saw almost $388,000 from parliamentary budgets to part-pay campaign staff ahead of the 2014 election.

DAN SILENT AS COPS CALL IN MPS OVER RED-SHIRTS SCANDAL

RED SHIRTS, GREY SKIES IN ANDREWS’ NIGHTMARE

LABOR RORTS FOR VOTES EXPOSED: HOW IT HAPPENED

Mr Ashton told 3AW that it was likely the criminal probe would wrap up before the November 24 election.

Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton says the investigation into the rorts-for-votes scheme could wrap up before the election. Picture: Nicole Garmston

“You never know with these things until they finish do you, but at this point I’m thinking it could be,” he said.

Mr Ashton said the complainant — Opposition Leader Matthew Guy — would be notified of the result and police would do a press conference to explain it publicly.

And the chief commissioner said the timing wouldn’t be affected by voting day.

“The election is the election, it’s separate issues, we wouldn’t be stopping the investigation just because an election is due,” Mr Ashton said.

“We obviously want it done as quickly as it can, the community want outcomes... (but) it’s not being driven by election timing.”

ANDREWS SILENT ON RORTS-FOR-VOTES DAWN RAIDS

TOP COP: RORTS PROBE FOLLOWING ’LETTER OF THE LAW’

He said external legal advice was followed during the process and police would liaise with the Office of Public Prosecutions before making a decision on whether charges were laid.

“It depends on the OPP, because they have to prosecute these matters,” Mr Ashton said.

“It’s no good charging people if the OPP are not up for prosecuting.”

The Herald Sun revealed yesterday that police had begun requesting interviews within Labor MPs involved in the scheme.

It comes after dozens of investigators arrested 17 former campaign staff for interviews in “dawn raids” in early August.

Premier Daniel Andrews faces the media in reaction to Labor rorts report. Picture: Alex Coppel

Premier Daniel Andrews remained tight-lipped about the investigation yesterday, refusing to comment on how many of his MPs had been approached for interviews or whether they would co-operate with police.

“It would be completely inappropriate for me to provide any commentary at all,” he said.

Six government ministers — Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings, Attorney-General Martin Pakula, Youth Affairs Minister Jenny ­Mikakos, Corrections Minister Gayle Tierney, Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio and Sports Minister John Eren — were among 21 Labor MPs involved in the scheme.

In a damning report released in March, Ombudsman Deborah Glass labelled the scheme an “artifice” that crossed the line and was “wrong”.

Mr Ashton told 3AW that the investigation was too far along to detail which offences were being considered as part of the probe.

But he told a Legislative Council priveleges committee inquiry in July that potential offences included making and using a false document, false accounting, conspiracy to cheat and defraud, and misconduct in public office.

[e-mail]

@moniquehore

MORE NEWS ON THE RED SHIRTS RORT:

LABOR MPS TO FACE VOTE RORTS POLICE QUERIES

RORTS-FOR-VOTES SHATTERS TRUST IN ANDREWS’ GOVERNMENT

LABOR MP RAISED RORTS-FOR-VOTES WITH PREMIER