Woodman and Aziz to fight back against IBAC ’false narrative’

IBAC targets Sam Aziz and John Woodman break their silence. Read what they say about Operation Sandon.

Property developer John Woodman. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

The two main targets of Operation Sandon have launched a counter-attack on IBAC, saying the anti-corruption commission ignored evidence that cleared them.

In their first public comments since the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission released its report on Thursday, property developer John Woodman and former Casey mayor Sam Aziz accused the agency of pursuing a “false narrative”.

In a joint interview with The Weekend Australian, Mr Woodman and Mr Aziz blamed IBAC for the suicide of their friend and former mayor Amanda Stapledon, claimed the agency failed to consider a 250-page report detailing their version of events, and was “hell-bent” on pursuing them to justify the expense of Operation Sandon.

“IBAC has destroyed many lives with its Operation Sandon investigation and taken the life of my very good friend Amanda, and I am going to get square,” Mr Woodman said. “I promise you, I am going to get square. I intend ­exposing the lies of IBAC.

“We have a supposed integrity commission that lacks integrity.”

He described the agency’s natural justice process, which gives witnesses a chance to challenge draft findings, as a “joke”.

“I made a 250-page submission outlining the facts to correct the draft report and they chose to ignore the truth and publish their own false narrative. Now I will be fighting back, not only for myself but for the memory of my good friend Amanda.”

The pair has scheduled a press conference on Monday to officially launch a fightback against IBAC, which found in its Operation Sandon report there was “clear evidence” that Mr Woodman had secretly paid Mr Aziz and another councillor, Geoff Ablett, more than $1m in return for favourable planning decisions.

“IBAC had a narrative which it needed to prove at all costs and in doing so have destroyed so many lives in the process,” Mr Aziz said.

Former Casey mayor Sam Aziz. Picture: Facebook

“We are fighting back to provide the community with the truth. IBAC is hell-bent on demonstrating the millions of dollars it wasted on this investigation have been for some worthwhile cause.”

IBAC has declined to comment on the claims.

Mr Aziz said he didn’t believe evidence in the Operation Sandon report would justify the Director of Public Prosecutions laying criminal charges. “We intend defending ourselves vigorously against IBAC’s allegations and we don’t believe there is any evidence to support this referral,” he said.

Mr Aziz said the $600,000 IBAC found he had received from Mr Woodman was the proceeds from his investment in a fin­ance scheme run by the developer.

Mr Aziz and Mr Woodman say they plan to release a dossier on Monday that will support their innocence and provide an explanation for the three key planning decisions at the centre of Operation Sandon.

The dossier accuses IBAC of drawing on “erroneous facts” in criticising planning matters.

“We are a group of victims whose lives have been ruined forever by IBAC’s public examinations and other conduct in Operation Sandon,” the document states.

An exhibit photo from the IBAC hearing, in which Casey councillor Sam Aziz and political lobbyist Lorraine Wreford met at a cafe in 2019.

“IBAC had a narrative it needed to prove, and that narrative had very little to do with identifying corruption and everything to do with bolstering IBAC’s image and funding at the expense of the witnesses.”

The dossier likens Operation Sandon to “four torturous years” that have led to suicide, suicidal thoughts, illness, family breakdown, reputational damage, financial loss and unemployment.

“Victims have suffered ... catastrophic distress and breakdown in family structures including loss of once thriving relationships between parents and children, siblings, and between married partners which has since led to marriage dissolution,’’ it says.

“Wider destruction to broader family and friends, who felt compromised by mere association with any of the victims. Irrecoverable reputational damage to those who were publicly examined ... this has led to permanent unemployment, bank account closures, and a discriminately singular and vindictive property seizure.”

The witness dossier claims that IBAC misrepresented the planning issues around three key developments in Casey, known as H3, Pavilion and C219, to justify its recommendation to strip all councils of major planning powers.