By Broede Carmody
Allegedly corrupt developer John Woodman has used a bizarre press conference to claim he was lied about in an anti-corruption watchdog report that found he made payments to councillors for support on lucrative planning decisions.
During an extraordinary appearance in South Melbourne on Monday, Woodman waved a wooden ruler at a PowerPoint that flickered on and off next to a large poster that featured an “adapted” quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet that read: “Something is rotten in the state of IBAC.”
During more than 40 minutes of opening remarks, during which journalists’ attempts to clarify facts were brushed aside, Woodman claimed the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission had published 300 pages of “lies, half-truths and hoaxes”.
“To go through every lie and half-truth included in the tabled report will take a month of Sundays,” he said.
Woodman added that he wanted IBAC to stop pushing, as he put it, “fake narratives all seeking front-page media headlines, regardless of the ... devastating consequences”.
IBAC’s Operation Sandon report, tabled in parliament last Thursday, was a sweeping investigation launched in response to The Age’s reporting on the City of Casey. It found Woodman made more than $1 million in payments to former City of Casey mayors and Liberal Party members Sam Aziz and Geoff Ablett, including cash payments in suitcases and shopping bags.
Property developer John Woodman (right) and former Casey mayor Sam Aziz on Monday.Credit: Jason South
Aziz was at Monday’s press conference, operating the PowerPoint for Woodman, but Ablett was not there.
An invitation to the press conference, sent out last Friday, was linked to an email address monitored by Susan Serey, the sacked former Casey mayor who was also the subject of adverse comments in IBAC’s report.
Serey was not at the press conference.
In its final report, the anti-corruption watchdog found Serey accepted donations from Woodman between 2014 and 2018 that supported her state election campaigns and “voted on council motions in a way that consistently supported his interests without declaring a conflict of interest during that period”.
Woodman’s press conference also made reference to another former Casey mayor, Amanda Stapledon, who took her own life last year while she was being investigated as part of Operation Sandon.
Coroner David Ryan has criticised IBAC over its dealings with Stapledon and recommended a review of the agency’s policies.
Woodman spoke mostly on the merits of Casey’s planning decisions. While IBAC did look at those decisions and how they were made, the watchdog’s focus was on whether the council’s governance had been corrupted.
IBAC declined to comment on Monday.
Woodman said he last spoke to Premier Daniel Andrews one-on-one in 2010, but planning matters were not discussed.
“It’s inappropriate and certainly didn’t happen,” he said.
Woodman also denied being a property developer altogether. “I’m a consultant,” he said.
When a journalist pointed out Aziz wanted to say something, Woodman interjected: “This man is not speaking, I don’t think. He’s lost his voice. He’s got a cold.”
Woodman takes a seat at the back of the room at the end of the press conference.Credit: Jason South
Aziz insisted he wanted to speak. He took to the microphone stand to deny taking bribes, despite IBAC stating in its final report that Woodman had directly paid Aziz and fellow councillor Ablett for their support.
Woodman then returned to the microphones and said of Aziz: “He’s forgetting who paid for this.”
In the property developer’s closing remarks, he said: “Gentlemen, I have finished the press conference, and I’d thank you to leave.”
He then sat at the back of the room with his legs crossed while Aziz continued answering reporters’ questions. The former mayor insisted he flew to Egypt in 2020 to look into a job opportunity, not to avoid interrogation by Victorian authorities.
Shortly before Monday’s media event, a group spearheaded by Woodman released a document called “Operation Sandon: The Real Perspective”. That document claimed others interviewed by IBAC have suffered suicidal ideation, financial ruin and family breakdowns.
However, integrity experts say IBAC’s Operation Sandon report shows the watchdog needs more powers, not less.
Accountability Round Table chair and former Democrats senator Lyn Allison has also urged Andrews to implement all the agency’s recent recommendations.
“NSW banned donations from property developers more than a decade ago,” Allison said. “All other states should do likewise.”
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