IBAC inquiry: Faction mates ‘played racism cover-up card’

Tapped phone chats between Adem Somyurek and Rick Garotti reveal they floated using the BLM movement as cover for alleged misuse of taxpayer funds.

Rick Garotti gives evidence to IBAC.

Victorian factional war lord Adem Somyurek and his protege discussed using Black Lives Matter and accusations of racism to shield their alleged misdeeds and a key ally from scrutiny, an anti-corruption inquiry has heard.

Rick Garotti, mayor of Banyule in Melbourne’s northeast, was reduced to tears at the end of his two-day evisceration before the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, saying he hoped Labor’s party culture improved for the next generation of political hopefuls.

Mr Garotti on Tuesday admitted to lobbying Victorian government ministers on behalf of the Somali Australian Council of Victoria, whose secretary Hussein Haraco was a key recruiter across the northern suburbs for the moderate right faction.

The inquiry heard that Dr Haraco allegedly trousered more than $100,000 given to SACOV in state and local government grants to assist the Somali community.

Mr Garotti, who has a background in accounting and described Mr Somyurek as his mentor, said he had no idea the money wasn’t being used to help the Somali community.

“I’m gobsmacked,” he said.

When a journalist from The Age in 2020 approached SACOV with questions about the use of the grants, Mr Somyurek asked Mr Garotti to prepare a media ­response to relieve stress on the ­Somali community because “that’s where the recruiting is”.

 

In an intercepted phone call between the pair on June 13, Mr Somyurek tells Mr Garotti to ­accuse the journalist of “further stigmatising the African community”, in audio played to the hearing on Tuesday.

Mr Garotti then responds “Well, I might mention the black lives thing … At a time now black lives matter … our young people are struggling with their identity … Um, and engagement in the community it’s so disappointing … Yeah, do all of that shit.”

Mr Somyurek then tells Mr Garotti to “you know, just go racism on ’em” and ask the journalist why they don’t want African people involved in politics.

The factional war lord then tells Mr Garotti to say that the black community are going through a time of high sensitivity due to racism, of which the media is partly responsible.

“It’s a community that’s going through challenges as you know … we’re talking black lives don’t matter, it’s not just the police … it’s journalists as well, it’s media, so, just go hard,” Mr Somyurek said.

Dr Hussein Haraco is president of the Somali Australian Council of Victoria.

“You’re stigmatising our community. You’re treating us like thieves … we think you’re loading the bullets for the whites for the ah, for the people like, yeah, right.”

Mr Somyurek later texted a statement to Mr Garotti but it ­appears SACOV did not respond to the journalist’s questions.

Earlier, the commission heard SACOV had received $430,000 from Banyule council and $153,000 from the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet, with dodgy accounting allegedly disappearing about $120,000.

The commission also heard that Dr Haraco, who had job in Mr Somyurek’s electorate office, allegedly kept for himself most of a $75,000 grant to help foster responsible gaming in the community, including claiming that a $2000 video cost $7000.

Mr Garotti, who helped SACOV obtain the grant, said he was shocked to learn where the money went and he was under the impression Dr Haraco got no recompense for his SACOV work.

“He always said to me he never got any personal benefit from SACOV and in fact kicked in his own money to SACOV,” he said.

Mr Garotti told the commission he helped SACOV secure grants as reward for his work recruiting members for the moderate faction and Dr Haraco was paying for membership renewals.

He claimed of the about 300 members Dr Haraco brought in each year from the Somali community, about a third were fake.

Mr Garotti said a key reason behind him going to bat for SACOV was the “factional linkage” between him and Dr Haraco.

Dr Haraco was due to give evidence on Wednesday but is unable to attend for medical reasons.

Public hearings for Operation Watts are due to resume on ­November 1.