IBAC free to tell of Daniel Andrews and developer John Woodman
After an investigation lasting five years, secret testimony from Daniel Andrews and the suicide of a witness, IBAC is set to release a bombshell report.
An anti-corruption investigation that examined Premier Daniel Andrews in secret, probed links between a developer and Labor ministers and has been blamed for the suicide of a former mayor will be released within days.
Victoria’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission has been given the greenlight to table the Operation Sandon report after the Victorian Court of Appeal rejected a last-ditch legal bid to block its release.
The 300-page report, expected to be released on Thursday, is the result of a five-year probe into allegedly corrupt land deals between millionaire property developer John Woodman and Casey councillors.
As revealed by The Australian in May 2022, Operation Sandon grilled Mr Andrews in private over his dealings with Mr Woodman, a big donor to the Victorian ALP and to the Liberal Party.
During his cross-examination, according to a draft report, Mr Andrews was questioned about his association with Mr Woodman and whether he had been given his mobile phone number.
“Initially Mr Andrews accepted (that a Labor-aligned lobbyist) may have provided him with Mr Woodman’s phone number but when it was suggested this may have indicated he wished to apologise to Mr Woodman, he said it was highly unlikely he requested or was given Mr Woodman’s number,” the draft report states.
Mr Woodman had donated more than $200,000 to the ALP and more than $250,000 to entities associated with the Liberal Party, according to the draft report, which said he and his associates “sought to influence state and council decision-making in favour of a (development)”.
The draft report states that before Labor won the 2014 state election, Mr Woodman and his associates were cultivating senior Labor shadow ministers in case they won.
“Mr Woodman arranged and attended fundraisers and other functions which provided access to senior shadow ministers James Merlino, Tim Pallas and Martin Pakula,” the draft report states.
“Over the following years, Mr Woodman maintained contact with senior ministers, in particular the Treasurer, Tim Pallas, (former) minister for roads Luke Donnellan and Minister for Transport Jacinta Allan.
“Mr Woodman obtained access to the Premier, Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Attorney-General, Minister for Roads and Minister for Education.
“Each held portfolios relevant to planning decisions.”
The draft report states that the attendance of Mr Andrews and Mr Woodman at fundraising functions “provides another illustration of the opportunities for privileged access at a ministerial level that Mr Woodman and his lobbyists were able to gain.”
Mr Woodman, in an interview with The Australian in 2022, said he had known Mr Andrews for years.
“I’m happy to go on the record and say I’ve known Daniel since he had pimples on his face but he never rang me, never texted me,” he said.
“I have never spoken to him about C219 (a development).”
IBAC examined Mr Woodman for six days in public hearings in November 2019 that he has claimed in legal papers was conducted in breach of its legislation and which caused him ‘‘unreasonable damage’’.
Mr Woodman, the prime target of the IBAC probe, launched a final bid in the Court of Appeal on Monday to injunct the report’s release but that was rejected.
Former Casey mayor Amanda Stapledon took her life in January 2022, three days after IBAC sent her its draft report into Operation Sandon. She had been examined publicly in March 2020 which friends have said left her traumatised, isolated and fearful of going to jail.
A Victorian coroner linked the 58-year-old death to Operation Sandon, finding the agency failed for almost two years to tell her she was not going to be prosecuted, a delay that exacerbated her mental health trauma.
Coroner David Ryan noted “it is clear that Ms Stapledon’s mental health had suffered during the course of her prolonged involvement in Operation Sandon”.
‘‘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,” the coroner found.
“It is likely her stress and anxiety would have been appreciably alleviated had she been informed that … 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
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