Friend lashes IBAC ‘cover-up’ as name, gender of ex-Casey mayor Amanda Stapledon erased from report

Amanda Stapledon’s friends blame IBAC for her suicide – now they are furious her name has been removed from its report, which only references the former mayor as ‘Councillor A’.

Amanda Stapledon.

IBAC has erased the name and gender of a former mayor who took her own life from its Operation Sandon report, sparking anger from her best friend.

Victoria’s anti-corruption agency has redacted Amanda Stapledon’s name from its 308-page report, only referencing the former mayor as ‘‘Councillor A’’ in a move the agency says was out of respect to her family and friends.

IBAC’s acting commissioner Stephen Farrow, writing in the report’s foreword, said the ex-Casey mayor’s identity had been removed because her death meant she was unable to provide a response to the draft report.

“IBAC acknowledges the loss and grief experienced by their family and friends,’’ the acting commissioner wrote.

‘‘IBAC has referred to them as Councillor A throughout this report out of respect because they were not able to provide a response to the draft report.’’

Later in the report, IBAC states:

“IBAC acknowledges that due to Councillor A’s passing, they were not in a position to respond and unable to refute or defend any of the allegations, comments or findings in

the report that could be considered adverse against them.

“IBAC has considered all available evidence and information, including information obtained through the submissions of others, to ensure all statements regarding Councillor A

are reasonable, balanced and accurate.”

But the gesture has backfired with best friend Kerril Burns — Ms Stapledon’s support person during her public examination by IBAC in 2020 — who claimed IBAC was attempting to ‘‘sweep Amanda’s death under the carpet’’.

‘‘I’ve had two goals all along; the first was to get a coroner’s inquest. I got that. And now my only focus is on clearing her name,” she told The Australian.

‘‘But if they don’t name her in the report, how can I clear her name? It’s a cover up. IBAC made her guilty until proven innocent. They tarnished her name first and have now removed her name. IBAC has attempted to erase her from history. But I will still fight to clear her name. She was not corrupt.”

Ms Stapledon, 58, a single mother to an intellectually disabled adult son, took her life in January 2022, just three days after IBAC sent her its draft Operation Sandon report.

Friends and former council colleagues blame IBAC for her suicide, claiming the public examination followed by almost two years of silence from the agency left her traumatised, isolated, shamed and paranoid about being sent to jail.

Just weeks before taking her life, a desperate Ms Stapledon told Ms Burns that she was convinced she was going to prison over her association with developer John Woodman.

‘‘She told me she was being charged with corruption and she would be sent to jail,’’ Ms Burns said shortly after her death.

Amanda Stapledon.

IBAC had heard evidence that Ms Stapledon had accepted an undeclared $25,000 election campaign donation from Mr Woodman in 2014, and that he had supported a community organisation she was closely associated with.

Ms Stapledon was the subject of adverse comments in the final Operation Sandon report, released on Thursday.

“Mr Woodman sought to ingratiate himself with Councillor A and gain their support at the Casey Council by providing campaign donations and supporting Organisation A,’’

IBAC stated in the report.

“During the period that the Amendment C219 was before the Casey Council, Mr Woodman donated $25,000 to Councillor A’s state election campaign in 2014.

“Councillor A gave evidence that they understood the donation had been made by

Mr Woodman directly to the Liberal Party head office. Councillor A became aware of this donation via an email from their campaign manager, who had been notified by

the Liberal Party head office.

“Mr Woodman also made donations and provided pro bono support to Organisation A, which provided services to Councillor A’s family member. IBAC did not find that Councillor A or Councillor A’s family member received preferential treatment from Organisation A.

However, Councillor A and Councillor A’s family member benefited from Mr Woodman’s donation to Organisation A, which, according to Councillor A, meant that an ‘out- of- program’ program attended by Councillor A’s family member could exist, heavily subsidised.’’

Amanda Stapledon meets with John Woodman in 2018.

A Victorian coroner found that IBAC failed for almost two years to tell Ms Stapledon that she was in the clear in a delay that exacerbated her mental health trauma.

Coroner David Ryan has revealed that after grilling former Casey mayor Amanda Stapledon for two days in public hearings in March 2020, IBAC decided that it was unlikely she had committed a criminal offence.

But the coroner noted that the anti-corruption agency had never informed her about this.

‘‘It is clear that Ms Stapledon’s mental health had suffered during the course of her prolonged involvement in Operation Sandon,’’ the coroner found.

‘‘In particular, she was concerned about being referred for prosecution and the impact that criminal proceedings may have on her financial stability and the future wellbeing of her son.

“Ms Stapledon had given evidence in Operation Sandon (22) months before her death. The uncertainty as to whether she would face criminal prosecution was a significant stressor which

became exacerbated over time.

“It is likely that her stress and anxiety would have been appreciably alleviated had she been informed that on the evidence before it, IBAC was not contemplating and did not intend to bring criminal proceedings against her or refer her to any prosecutorial body.’’

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, call: Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au; or Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au