The legitimacy of the 2016 Wyndham council election has been called into question after the Local Government Inspectorate announced it would be interviewing all 95 candidates.
In a statement released on Friday, the Local Government Investigations and Compliance Inspectorate said it was investigating allegations of bribery, unlawful nomination and deceptive conduct among several candidates during last year’s election campaign.
Star Weekly understands the Inspectorate has already spoken to 20 parties – including eight candidates – regarding the investigation.
Chief municipal inspector David Wolf said based on information already received, and anomalies identified during the investigation to date, it was now necessary to speak with all candidates who nominated.
The remaining candidates have been called in to attend compulsory interviews, which will be held in Hoppers Crossing between June 7-16, to confirm their candidate eligibility and identify any unlawful activities.
Candidates have been warned that the interviews will be recorded, and that they may be required to give evidence under oath.
“The inspectorate has gathered evidence that raises concerns about several candidates having unlawfully nominated or received payments to nominate. We need to understand if this is a broader issue or confined to these specific candidates in this election,” Mr Wolf said.
“Wyndham City Council and the Victorian Electoral Commission are assisting with our inquiries.
“It is important to note that this investigation does not reflect on Wyndham City Council as an organisation, which continues to provide good governance for the municipality. I encourage anyone with information which they believe may assist our investigation to come forward.
“Our objective is to fully expose any illegal activity by candidates in order to protect the integrity of local government elections now and into the future.”
Mr Wolf said the department had already been “overwhelmed by the response from candidates who are very keen to tell us what occurred during the election”.
Star Weekly understands a number of people have already committed to being witnesses should the matter end up in court. The Inspectorate refused to confirm how many witnesses have been locked in.
The announcement follows a joint investigation by Star Weekly and The Sunday Age in January that revealed councillor Intaj Khan was under investigation over his council election campaign, where he was re-elected to Wyndham council on the preferences of a team of dummy running mates, some enrolled – but not resident – at properties owned by him,
