IBAC commissioner Robert Redlich hits out at being gagged in parliamentary probe

IBAC boss Robert Redlich is demanding to reappear before a parliamentary probe into Victoria’s anti-corruption agencies after being gagged by a Labor chair at an earlier appearance.

IBAC Commissioner Robert Redlich has hit out at being gagged during a parliamentary probe into Victoria’s anti-corruption agencies.

The head of the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission has now demanded to be allowed to reappear before the Integrity and Oversight Committee as a matter of fairness.

Mr Redlich appeared before the committee, which sits again on Monday, to testify at the inquiry into the witness welfare policies of IBAC and other integrity agencies.

The audit of the anti-corruption agencies was launched in the wake of the suicide of former mayor Amanda Stapledon.

Ms Stapledon was found dead a day afterIBAC finalised a report on a long-running investigation into allegedly corrupt land deals involving developer John Woodman.

Ms Stapledon was mayor of City of Casey in 2018, and told IBAC she had met Mr Woodman before being elected to the role.

She told IBAC she had received a $25,000 donation from Mr Woodman to run for state parliament as a Liberal candidate in 2014.

A complaint to the IOC alleged she had expressed suicidal ideations as early as April last year following her public examination by IBAC.

IBAC Commissioner Robert Redlich. Picture: AAP

During his appearance before the IOC, Mr Redlich was repeatedly stopped from discussing “individual matters” by Labor chair Harriet Shing.

At one point, when questions were raised about why Daniel Andrews had been grilled in private hearings, Ms Shing asked for the live feed of the hearing to be cut.

The IOC’s livestream was offline for several minutes while committee members underwent “private discussions”.

Once back online, Ms Shing reminded committee members not to mention “individual matters”.

Ms Shing also later stopped the inquiry from hearing about the ongoing public examination of factional branch stacking within the ALP.

In a letter to the committee, seen by the Herald Sun, Mr Redlich demanded the right to reappear.

He said repeated requests to do so had been dismissed, but rejected claims there was any legal basis to do so.

“As I have previously raised with the Chair and attempted to raise with the Committee at the hearing on Monday, 9 May, IBAC must have the opportunity to address the committee, either in public or in private, on the matter which directly led to the committee’s decision of 9 February to hold an inquiry with a focus on witness welfare,” he said.

Harriet Shing asked for the live feed of the hearing to be cut. Picture: Mark Stewart

“With respect to the continued ruling of the Chair that questions cannot be asked about that matter as it arises within a current investigation, there is nothing in the statute governing the Committee’s inquiry that precludes members of the committee asking and IBAC answering questions unless the disclosure of information concerning the witness’s welfare would prejudice any IBAC investigation.

“Whether it would in fact do so, must be a matter for IBAC, not the Chair of the committee.”

Mr Redlich also demanded the right to respond to submissions made to the IOC about IBAC’s conduct.

It followed revelations in the Herald Sun that at least one witness had claimed they were left suicidal after being involved in an IBAC probe.

“As a matter of fundamental fairness IBAC must also be informed as to what other submissions have been made to the IOC that have the potential to cause members of the IOC to form tentative or concluded views about how IBAC manages the welfare of witnesses in its investigations,” Mr Redlich said.

“IBAC must be permitted to respond in public to any submissions that are placed in the public domain by the IOC and respond in private to those submissions that are not referred to in the public hearing.”

Mr Redlich, Victoria’s most senior anti-corruption commissioner, last week raised concerns about “onerous” laws that constrained IBAC’s work.

Ombudsman Deborah Glass will appear before the IOC on Monday.

Originally published as IBAC commissioner Robert Redlich hits out at being gagged in parliamentary probe