By CASEY NEILL
Government officials launch probe into allegations…
“SUBSTANTIAL gifts of cash” have been given to a Greater Dandenong councillor without being declared, a fellow councillor has alleged.
Councillor Peter Brown claimed at the Monday 26 October council meeting that he had uncovered documents showing his colleague Youhorn Chea had received money from Springvale Asian Business Association (SABA) committee members.
Cr Brown also highlighted Cr Chea’s involvement earlier this year in opposing council plans for parking meters in Springvale – alongside SABA.
“He should have declared a conflict of interest,” Cr Brown said.
He said “scurrilous accusations“ from SABA against the council regarding the parking meter project had prompted him to start “investigating” several months ago.
“Our officers were unable to defend themselves,” he said.
He said Cr Chea should have defended the council but instead sided with SABA and, through the Journal, threatened to withdraw his support for Mayor Sean O’Reilly at the next local government election after the mayor defended the meters.
Cr Brown told the meeting that the documentation he had uncovered was “incontrovertible”.
He later said the documents had been provided to the local government Investigations and Compliance Inspectorate.
Cr Brown told the meeting he had “six verifiable documents from a range of sources” about Cr Heang Tak, although would not elaborate on their content or what he alleged Cr Tak had done wrong.
He later confirmed he had also provided them to the inspectorate.
Sonia Heath from the Department of Premier and Cabinet confirmed the inspectorate was examining the complaints.
After the meeting Cr Brown said his desire to be the next Greater Dandenong mayor had not motivated his decision to make the accusations.
“It has caused me a lot of heartache for months,” he said.
Cr Brown phrased his allegations as a question to Cr Chea, which Cr Chea opted to take on notice and respond to at a later date.
He told the Journal that Cr Brown’s allegations were baseless and his behaviour was unacceptable.
“As a councillor, I represent the interest of rate payers and work closely with our local business people,” he said.
“The local traders in Springvale are entitled to their basic rights to express their opposition to the introduction of ticket machines.
“I stand by my position and will not be bullied.”
Cr Chea said he’d earned his standing in the community through hard work since migrating to Australia in 1982.
“Our residents know that I am a clean person and I demand Cr Peter Brown to produce evidence to prove that I was wrong,” he said.
Cr Tak strongly and completely rejected any allegation of wrongdoing.
He said he met with Cr Brown on Sunday 25 October to discuss the coming mayoral election, and he believed the allegations against him were linked to Cr Brown’s mayoral ambitions.
He said Cr Brown had accused him of failing to disclose a conflict of interest in relation to the Cambodian Association of Victoria (CAV) “on the basis that I am a member of CAV and because my wife’s uncle is a board member of CAV”.
Cr Tak said he was a CAV member in 2009 but had not since renewed his membership.
“Even if I was a member of CAV, membership of an organisation does not amount to a conflict of interest under the Act,” he said.
He said his wife’s uncle had never been a CAV board member but if he had “this would not amount to a conflict of interest under the Act”.
Springvale Asian Business Association (SABA) spokesman Stan Chang said he did not know the specific ‘gifts’ Cr Brown referred to.
“I’m 100 per cent confident that this is a storm in a teacup,” he said.
“I can only say that we would not give Cr Chea money for his personal use.
“It must be a fund-raising event.
“If Peter Brown raises it as an issue, it becomes a council matter.”
The council’s acting corporate services director Kylie Sprague said the council was not in a position to respond and it was a matter between the councillors.
