00:00 Buying influence. This is the multi-millionaire property developer at the centre of the state's
00:07 longest running corruption investigation.
00:10 The conduct epitomising what the communities loathe from their elected officials.
00:15 John Woodman plied politicians and City of Casey councillors with hundreds of thousands
00:20 of dollars to green light his developments in Cranbourne West which would have made his
00:25 company millions.
00:27 This unambiguous breach of public trust had a reputational ripple effect for councils
00:33 across the entire state.
00:35 His main targets, Councillor Sam Aziz and former VFL footballer Jeff Ablett who took
00:40 more than a million dollars from Mr Woodman in suitcases of cash and money stuffed in
00:45 shopping bags in secret meetings in subway restaurants.
00:49 Councillors who received the funds manipulated council processes in favour of his interests.
00:55 But it didn't stop there. The five year investigation lifted the lid on a pay for access culture
01:00 across both major political parties, detailing how John Woodman was able to dine with Daniel
01:06 Andrews through big donations to the Labor Party.
01:09 I behave appropriately at all times. Any donations that are made to my party are properly and
01:14 transparently declared.
01:15 IBAC interviewed the Premier in secret and found he asked the lobbyists for Mr Woodman's
01:20 number so he could apologise to him after his government rejected his planning application.
01:25 Victorians can't get an apology out of this Premier for cancelling the Commonwealth Games,
01:29 but John Woodman can get an apology for delaying his precious development.
01:34 There are no adverse findings that relate to me.
01:36 Adverse comments were however made against several councillors, political figures and
01:40 lobbyists including sitting Labor MP for Cranbourne, Pauline Richards.
01:44 Why did you accept donations from John Woodman?
01:47 Who said she could have been more circumspect in accepting a generous $20,000 donation from
01:52 Mr Woodman for her 2018 election campaign.
01:55 This cash for access culture is something that Woodman and others in the hearings described
02:01 as 'that's how you do business'. Well it shouldn't be how you do business in Victoria.
02:07 Now the key players caught up in the corruption probe could face criminal charges, with IBAC
02:12 providing evidence to the Office of Public Prosecutions.
02:15 It's a matter for them to make a decision about whether there's any public interest
02:20 and prospects for conviction.
02:21 [BLANK_AUDIO]
Comments