Police clear ‘red shirt’ MPs

FORMER Victorian treasurer John Lenders faces police interrogation over his involvement in an election rorts scheme, while 16 current Labor MPs, including Lara MP John Eren have been cleared of criminality.

Mr Lenders, previously named as an architect of the rort, will be “criminally interviewed”. An unnamed electorate officer also has questions to answer over the so-called “red shirts” scandal.

Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton yesterday said the ongoing investigation would take no more than two months, given most of the evidence has already been established.

“That would progress very quickly, moving forward,” he said.

Mr Lenders was treasurer from 2007 to 2010 in the Brumby government before his departure from Parliament.

Mr Patton said yesterday detectives had decided not to charge 16 Labor MPs who were probed over the “rorts-forvotes” scheme.

They include current ministers Adem Somyurek, Gayle Tierney, Gavin Jennings, Lily D’Ambrosio and Jenny Mikakos. In addition to the serving ministers, Upper House president Shaun Leane and backbenchers Anthony Carbines, Nazih Elasmar and John Eren were cleared by police, along with seven former MPs.

He added that all of the politicians involved had been asked but refused to be interviewed by police.

He said detectives did not seek interviews with Mr Andrews, Deputy Premier James Merlino or Police Minister Lisa Neville “due to the lack of evidence requiring them”.

Ombudsman Deborah Glass previously found 21 past and present Labor MPs systematically misused public money during the party’s successful campaign, with $388,000 in taxpayer funds approved for electorate officers who instead worked as campaign staff.

Senior ministers Ms D’Ambrosio, Ms Mikakos and Mr Jennings were among MPs named as breaching the system and exonerated yesterday.

Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien was stumped by the police decision.

“Any Victorian who rorted money from their workplace would expect to be charged with a crime,” he said.

“Ordinary Victorians will be asking themselves whether a Labor Party membership doesn’t come with a get-out-ofjail-free card.”

Labor has already repaid the $388,000.