By Cam Lucadou-Wells
I Cook Foods owner Ian Cook has accused Greater Dandenong Council of “profoundly misleading” a Parliamentary inquiry into his business’s forced closure.
At the inquiry hearings, the council had listed a “history” of food-safety complaints and ongoing listeria-related concerns against ICF.
But Mr Cook said the council had omitted significant exonerating evidence that explained why ICF had never been prosecuted.
In a letter on 7 August, Mr Cook has demanded that Greater Dandenong chief executive John Bennie ‘corrects the record’.
A Greater Dandenong Council spokesperson told the Star Journal that the council was reviewing the letter.
Mr Cook says he is not “rolling away” from two Supreme Court actions over what he says was the “illegal” closure and destruction of his 34-year-old family business.
He was undeterred by the inquiry report finding the closure was “valid” but “not fair”.
The report noted “extensive evidence” provided to DHHS by Greater Dandenong Council of “long-standing” food-safety issues at the commercial caterer’s kitchen.
Mr Cook said the issues including problems with the floor, a large oven’s placement, configurations of walkways, rusted or damaged equipment, and deficiencies in ICF’s food safety plan were based on “blatant lies”.
He was “not absolutely unhappy” with the Labor-majority committee’s “politically based” findings, he said.
The report appeared to throw all blame onto the council while shielding the State Government – namely the Department of Health and Human Services and Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, he said.
ICF is pursuing Supreme Court action against an independent auditor for alleged collusion with the DHHS.
It alleges that the auditor’s purportedly-independent draft report was significantly altered after being reviewed by the DHHS.
After revisions, the report found I Cook Food was non-compliant with food-safety requirements – but sheeted blame on past external auditors.
“I believe that I Cook Foods Pty Ltd have done what they thought was legally required, and have not deliberately tried to short cut their legal responsibilities.”
In a separate Supreme Court action, ICF is sueing the DHHS for a claim of up to $48 million damages.
It has also submitted a brief of evidence to Victoria Police to investigate alleged corruption.
