Key talks ordered on IBAC after suicide of ex-mayor Amanda Stapledon

A powerful parliamentary committee has ordered urgent talks to consider complaints that blame IBAC for former Casey mayor Amanda Stapledon’s death

Several witnesses have accused the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission and the Victorian Inspectorate of having blood on their hands over the death of Amanda Stapledon.

A parliamentary committee has called urgent talks to consider complaints about the conduct of Victorian anti-corruption agencies after the suicide of a former mayor.

Parliament’s integrity and oversight committee has ordered a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss complaints from witnesses involved in the marathon investigation into allegedly corrupt land deals involving Casey councillors and a property developer.

In formal complaints to the committee, several witnesses have accused the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission and the Victorian Inspectorate — the body charged with monitoring IBAC — of having blood on their hands over the death of Amanda Stapledon.

She took her life on January 17-18, three days after receiving a draft report from IBAC detailing findings against her over alleged undeclared campaign donations from the developer.

Friends say the former mayor and mother of a disabled adult son was pushed over the edge by the prolonged nature of Operation Sandon, which has run for more than two years.

They say she never recovered from being examined in public over the claims, which included allegedly receiving $25,000 in undisclosed political donations.

The IOC, which is chaired by former Labor attorney-general Jill Hennessy, was not scheduled to convene until February 21 but will now meet on Wednesday afternoon.

“The committee has received correspondence that will be ­tabled at the next meeting.

“The committee can consider systemic issues but cannot investigate matters currently being investigated by IBAC,” Ms Hennessy said.

One option could be for the IOC to make a specific request that a scheduled independent review of both IBAC and VI commissioned last December consider the issues relating to Operation Sandon witnesses.

Callida Consulting was awarded a $440,000 contract to conduct the review, which is mandated by legislation to occur every four years.

Its terms of reference include a review of governance and risk management frameworks used to “manage its engagement with others involved in IBAC operations (including members of the public, persons of interest and witnesses)”.

The witnesses want the IOC to order a special review of IBAC and the VI as the agencies, according to letters of complaint, were warned multiple times of suicide risks among witnesses well before Stapledon took her life.

A key concern of complainants is that the VI took seven months to respond to warnings that witnesses were suffering suicidal ideation, with its belated response clearing IBAC, and failing to specifically reference the suicide risk.

“I write to request that the (IOC) undertake an urgent parliamentary inquiry into both IBAC and the VI, the conduct of both of which I believe caused, or at least significantly contributed to, the suicide of former councillor and Operation Sandon witness Amanda Stapledon in January 2022,” one complaint states.

“My request to you is most urgent because I and other witnesses have had our lives vindictively and mercilessly decimated by the irresponsible conduct of IBAC, and are also at risk of at least continuous serious harm to our health and wellbeing, if not suicide.

“The particularly vicious and persecutorial conduct of IBAC against me as a witness was outlined in significant detail in a complaint to the VI in April 2021. Unfortunately the VI took seven months to respond, and then dismissed the complaint. It was not until Ms Stapledon’s suicide that the VI began to take the matter a lot more seriously.”

IBAC was warned in March 2020 of an emerging suicide risk among witnesses and the VI was warned in April 2021 that witnesses were in danger.

The April 18, 2021, complaint from a witness and friend of the former mayor stated: “I am also aware of two separate witnesses who seriously contemplated and planned suicide arising from the pressure of the IBAC investigations, and were only prevented from doing so by the timely intervention of caring family and friends.”

Within days of Stapledon’s death, the VI invited complainants in for an official interview and have called for witnesses with concerns to make contact with the agency.

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