Victorian Ombudsman set to consider reopening red shirts investigation

The Ombudsman will be asked to consider a fresh probe into the Andrews government’s “red shirts” elections rort amid claims police work was actively interfered with.

Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass is set to be asked to formally consider reopening an investigation into the Andrews government’s infamous red shirts elections rort.

It comes after the Herald Sun last week revealed a police whistleblower involved in the initial investigation made a formal statement claiming police command purposely thwarted the probe.

The explosive 29-page statement to the Independent Broadbased anti-Corruption Commission claimed police work was actively interfered with and obstructed by senior police.

Leader of the opposition in the upper house David Davis will this week seek to force a parliamentary referral of the matter to Ms Glass.

It will call on her to assess the material and, if appropriate, reopen an investigation into the matter.

The scheme saw almost $388,000 in taxpayers’ money spent on part-paying electorate staff to campaign for the 2014 election.

The Labor rort saw almost $388,000 in taxpayers’ money spent on part-paying electorate staff to campaign for the 2014 election. Picture: AAP

Former Minister Adem Somyurek successfully had the matter referred to Ms Glass earlier this year after securing the deciding vote of then Labor MP Kaushaliya Vaghela.

Ms Vaghela, who sensationally crossed the floor to vote to have the matter reinvestigated, subsequently resigned from the ALP.

Ms Glass ruled in July there was no new evidence of criminality or corruption to warrant further action.

“It is time to end this debate,” she wrote in her report.

“I cannot, of course, rule out that further evidence may yet come to light, but with the passage of time and difficulty in proof I am not prepared to spend further public resources on these matters.”

The police whistleblower, a veteran of 33 years, was directly involved in the 2018 investigation, arrest of suspects and subsequent interviews.

Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass ruled in July there was no new evidence of criminality or corruption to warrant further action.

“For some strange reason the Labor MPs in this investigation were not arrested,” they said.

The whistleblower also claimed detectives were refused permission by police command from obtaining the phone records and other computer data relating to Labor MPs.

“The refusal by Police Command to allow the Fraud Squad investigators to search thoroughly and gather all of the available evidence, in order to do their job fairly, properly and without fear or favour is very unusual and suspicious.

“I believe that the police investigation and the decision on whether to charge the Labor MPs were intentionally delayed until after the election in November 2018 for political reasons. It is indicative that there probably was political interference in the criminal investigation.”

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton has defended Victoria Police against the claims, saying he was not aware of any interference in the investigation.