The former mayor of the City of Casey and a well-known Victorian property developer have faced court after they were charged following a long-running probe by the state’s anti-corruption watchdog.
Sameh Aziz and John Charles Woodman appeared via videolink in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday morning as charges against the pair were formally filed with the court.
Mr Aziz, a former Casey councillor until the council was sacked in 2020, has been charged with five offences – one count of receiving secret commissions and two counts each of misconduct in public office and misuse of position.
Mr Woodman, a property consultant and developer, is charged with giving secret commissions.
Neither man was required to enter pleas or speak during the brief hearing.
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The court was told the two men had been charged by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) on September 1 this year.
In a statement released two days later, IBAC said the pair had been charged as part of Operation Sandon – an “extensive investigation into allegations of serious corrupt conduct in relation to planning and property development decisions at the City of Casey council”.
The cases against the two men were adjourned until February 2 by magistrate John O’Callaghan, with prosecutors given until December 4 to hand over a brief of evidence to Mr Aziz and Mr Woodman’s lawyers.
Operation Sandon was launched by the watchdog in 2017, with a report tabled in the Victorian parliament in July 2023.
Both Mr Aziz and Mr Woodman faced questioning during public hearings into the IBAC probe.
https://thewest.com.au/news/sameh-aziz-and-john-woodman-ex-mayor-and-developer-face-court-after-ibac-probe-c-20138109
