By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Hearings are set to resume at a Parliamentary inquiry into the “inappropriate” closure of Dandenong South commercial caterer I Cook Foods in early 2019.
ICF director Ian Cook is scheduled to re-appear in front of the inquiry on 25 August.
Others listed are ex-Greater Dandenong Council food-safety inspector Kim Rogerson – who turned whistle-blower, and ex-Knox Council officer Ray Christy.
The 30-year-old family business had been closed by the Department of Health and Human Services as part of an investigation into the death of a listeria-infected 86-year-old hospital patient.
By the time it re-opened six weeks later, the business was destroyed. Forty-one employees lost their jobs.
In August 2020, the Parliamentary inquiry into the matter found the ICF closure was “valid” but “not fair”.
But the inquiry has re-opened after “new evidence that was made public in relation to the inappropriate closure of I Cook Foods”, according to its terms-of-reference.
New evidence contradicted testimony by “senior officials in the Victorian Government and City of Greater Dandenong”, the terms stated.
Some of the evidence includes a report by Mr Christy, which stated prior to the closure that it was “more than likely” the deceased patient had not eaten ICF food.
ICF has consistently insisted it was wrongfully closed, including an allegation that a council officer planted a live slug during a factory inspection.
It has launched a $50-million lawsuit against the health department and Greater Dandenong council.
Victoria Police has recently re-opened its investigation into the circumstances of the closure.
In 2019, Greater Dandenong Council laid 96 food-safety charges against ICF – all of which were dropped just before a hearing at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court in late 2019.
The council stated it aimed to avoid a legal bill of up to $1.2 million.
