Victoria Police receive legal advice on whether to charge three Labor figures over red shirts scandal

Fraud squad detectives have received legal advice from the Office of Public Prosecutions on whether they should charge three Labor figures over the ‘red shirts’ saga.

Fraud squad detectives have received legal advice from the Office of Public Prosecutions on whether they should charge three Labor figures over the “red shirts” saga.

In a statement, Victoria Police said it had “received advice in regards to this matter which we are now assessing”.

ASHTON PROMISES TO MOVE QUICKLY ON RED SHIRTS PROBE

RORTS-FOR-VOTES DECISION WITH OPP

LABOR RORTS FOR VOTES EXPOSED: HOW IT HAPPENED

The OPP confirmed last week it was finalising its advice, after being asked for its input on whether criminal charges should be laid in November last year.

Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: Ellen Smith

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

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.

The OPP said last week that briefs of evidence provided by police on three individuals had been “considered in detail”.

Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the force would be “moving very quickly either way” once the legal advice was received.