Key Labor rorts witness helps police wrap up evidence brief

A key witness in the rorts-for-votes scandal provided significant information to assist police in their investigation before their brief of evidence was wrapped up, it has been revealed.

A key witness in the rorts-for-votes scandal provided significant information to assist police in their investigation before their brief of evidence was wrapped up.

Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton today revealed that a brief was sent to the Office of Public Prosecutions to be considered about a fortnight ago.

RORTS-FOR-VOTES DECISION WITH OPP

POLICE PROBE RED SHIRTS RORT

The Herald Sun understands that last month, the evidence obtained by police was enhanced by a key witness coming forward to co-operate with investigators.

The OPP is now considering whether charges should be laid over the red shirts rort, which saw Labor use almost $388,000 of taxpayers’ money to part-pay political campaigners during the 2014 state election.

Labor Victoria assistant secretary Stephen Donnelly, who helped co-ordinate the campaigners. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

A special police taskforce has spent months examining evidence and conducting interviews on the matter after 17 Labor campaign staffers were arrested in dawn raids in August.

Mr Ashton said today that police were now waiting on advice from the OPP.

“It’s not in my hands at the minute. So as soon as they get back to us … we’ll do it straight away as soon as we know,” Mr Ashton told 3AW.

He has previously said the probe would likely be wrapped before this Saturday’s state election.

But it had been considered the fraud and extortion squad investigation could run well past the election, with the seemingly speedy conclusion possibly assisted by Labor MPs refusing to be questioned.

Premier Daniel Andrews refused to comment on the matter today and said it would not be appropriate for “me to direct the (OPP) on any matter”.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has declined to comment. Picture: AAP Image/Daniel Pockett

RORTS-FOR-VOTES — HOW IT HAPPENED

Attorney-General Martin Pakula also refused to talk about the police investigation, but added that people should “wait and hold judgement”.

“The Ombudsman said that all MPs were acting in good faith in the legitimate belief that it was an approved scheme. As for the police investigation, I am not going to go into the details of the police investigation,” he said.

Ombudsman ­Deborah Glass found that 21 Labor MPs were involved in the red shirts rort, including Mr Pakula, Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings, Youth Affairs Minister Jenny ­Mikakos, Corrections Minster Gayle Tierney, Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio and Sports Minister John Eren.

Ms Glass concluded the scheme was an “artifice” and “was wrong”.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said he would leave the timing of Victoria Police’s decision on whether or not to lay charges “entirely up to them”.

But he said Labor MPs had failed to respect the police by refusing interviews.

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