By Cam Lucadou-Wells
I Cook Foods director Ian Cook has lauded Greater Dandenong councillor Peter Brown’s “refreshing” intervention into claims that council health inspectors planted a slug prior to the factory’s compulsory shutdown.
As reported by Star Journal, Cr Brown led calls for police to investigate the allegations.
“It breathes new life into the matter,” Mr Cook said.
“It’s refreshing that at last we’ve got someone who wants to look at the evidence and to know the truth.
“We’ve mainly come across people who want to cover it up.”
Mr Cook made an open invitation to other Greater Dandenong councillors to view the company’s CCTV video footage of the alleged slug planting.
“Once you read the (inspectors’) sworn statements and then look at the video clips, you don’t need to see any more.”
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos has been quizzed about the claims on 14 April.
In response to a question during a press conference update on Covid-19, Ms Mikakos said the I Cook Foods matter had been “concluded” by anti-corruption body IBAC.
She said it had also been investigated by Victoria Police – though I Cook Foods says the investigation is still afoot.
“If some individual has new evidence, that’s up to them to refer to Victoria Police,” Ms Mikakos said.
“There’s litigation pending with the Department (of Health and Human Services) so I’ll limit my comments to what I can say.”
Mr Cook says the only “pending” litigation is his bid to receive department-held information relied upon by Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton to close down the factory.
Despite winning a Supreme Court bid for the report, he is yet to receive the “complete” information from the health department, he says.
His intention to run a $26 million lawsuit against Greater Dandenong and the Department of Health and Human Services is on hold.
I Cook Foods has however made a complaint to Victoria Police. With the help of former police investigators, Mr Cook is set to submit an indexed evidence brief of their allegations against the council.
The council has steadfastly denied I Cook Foods’ claims, even after dropping all 96 food-safety charges against the Dandenong South company and its director Ian Cook in October.
The charges had linked I Cook Foods to the listeria-related death of a hospital patient in late January 2019.
The factory was shut down for more than a month in the meantime – a move that destroyed the 33-year-old business and cost 41 workers their job.
Cr Peter Brown, who was returned to council after the incident, says the council claim that a slug crawled into the factory “makes no sense”.
“It’s incomprehensible that that slug got from where it was alleged to have come from.”
Cr Brown also cast doubt on the council’s assertion that it dropped the case against I Cook Foods to save ratepayers up to $500,000.
“My real concern is the fabrication of evidence. I just want to know what the truth is.
“I’d welcome a third party to investigate. My view is all the evidence should be handed to the police.”
Cr Brown discussed the matter “at length” with Mr Cook, after the director wrote to councillors on 1 April alleging the council had acted illegally “in their name”.
Greater Dandenong councillor Tim Dark agreed that the police should investigate the claims.
“We’re at a stage where we need a full and frank investigation, whether it’s Victoria Police or what not.
“There’s a lot of hearsay … I think there’s more to each side of the story – that’s why it has to be tested in the court.”
Mayor Jim Memeti declined to comment.
The council self-referred “allegations made against council” to IBAC, which referred the matter to the Victorian Ombudsman.
The State Ombudsman found no further investigation was warranted, the council has stated.
