IBAC Operation Sandon report: What is it and why was it controversial? Here’s everything you may want to know

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MPs and two councillors were involved in receiving significant sums of money and political donations to promote the interests of John Woodman, a millionaire property industry figure. The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission found that two City of Casey councillors, Geoff Ablett and Sameh Aziz, accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in undeclared payments to advance Woodman's interests within the council's processes. Additionally, the investigation found that former Labor MPs Jude Perera and Judith Graley also received financial support for their election campaigns. Subsequently, they sought to influence the planning minister and other government decision-makers to support a rezoning proposal that would have resulted in substantial gains for Woodman and certain landowners. According to the Operation Sandon report, Premier Daniel Andrews provided evidence to the investigation. However, IBAC did not find any adverse findings against him.

The Operation Sandon report by the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC) focused on investigating allegations of corrupt land deals involving councillors and property developer John Woodman in Melbourne's south-east. The investigation was prompted by reports in 2018, suggesting that Woodman was improperly influencing City of Casey councillors to obtain project approvals. The primary focus of the inquiry was Woodman's efforts to rezone land in Cranbourne West for residential use, potentially increasing its value by over $100 million and generating substantial gains for him and landowners. During public hearings, IBAC heard allegations that two councillors, Sam Aziz and Geoff Ablett,