Thread by @PoliBard

So let's do an #IBAC summary of today's hearings. Appearing again was Rick Garotti, Mayor of Banyule, Somyurek stooge. Boy, did he get a flogging.

After getting thrashed yesterday by Carr, he was careful to not deny anything he couldn't remember, in case receipts were inbound.

And LOTS of receipts were provided by IBAC, including financial documents, emails, phone intercepts with audio, and text messages. The actual focus of the hearings today was largely around SACOV, or the Somali Australian Council of Victoria, and grants awarded to them.

Garotti was heavily involved in facilitating these grants, but officially Hussein Haraco was running the show there. Garotti moved behind the scenes via Somyurek to the executive to gain info about grants and progress, Hussein actually filed the grants.

It later came out that SACOV was also receiving grants from Banyule council as well as the state govt, although Garotti denied lobbying or advocacy for those as it would have been an (obvious) conflict of interest. The grants seemed to be tied to responsible gaming.

One of these grants for $75k was drilled down into in detail. It seems that Haraco was taking the salary, video production and training payments for himself, and presumably pocketing them, or funding branch stacking activities, or both. And it was deliberately disguised.

Next we find out that Haraco was also "double billing" both State Govt and Banyule council in several instances, by double claiming on amounts of up to $100k out of $430k in grant allocations. Just staggering amounts of theft. And as suggested yesterday by SAVCO's PO box on forms

Garotti conceded it was highly likely that SAVCO's primary purpose was for recruiting non genuine members of the Somali community for ALP memberships to enable branch stacking. Possibly Haraco was offering incentives, he was certainly paying for memberships and renewals.

Now we get to the really grubby bit, when Labor knew the 60 minutes story was about to break and hit panic mode. Journalists had been approaching non genuine members and asking them about their affiliation. And it seems they knew about SACOV, cos they went after Haraco as well.

Garotti and Somyurek, working together, drafted a media response for Haraco to release as coming from himself, to try and shut down the story. But it was also a clear attempt to intimidate the journalists involved, using highly inflammatory and accusatory language in reply.

The letter was completely full of false claims about the propriety of false claims about the propriety of operations of SACOV, but also contained a significant "racial defence" element, which was apparently a tried and tested technique used by Somyurek to deflect questioning.

Some of the language used:
-Somali community is sick and tired of branch stacking accusations because we became active in democracy
-What is your problem with this? Is it because we are black and want to become involved in democracy?
-Is it because we are black and should shut up

....and keep our opinions to ourselves?
-I ask you and your colleagues to have a good look in the mirror and understand the hurt, pain and suffering you are inflicting on the African community.

The kind of stuff that Mehreen Faruqi writes in her sleep, basically. Race baiting BS

Somyurek also mentioned that anything that could attach to the sentiment of Black Lives Matter would be useful. Just complete demonisation of journalists who in time, have been proven to be investigating a very legitimate story about corruption and branch stacking in Labor.

By the end of the day, Garotti had clearly gained a proper understanding of how rotten his activities had been and also those he had helped to enable. It's clear that much or all of this kind of stuff is just "accepted practice" within Labor, and part of party culture.

When the commissioner put it to him that the Red Shirts investigation should have halted this kind of behaviour, Garotti felt that it wasn't strong enough in it's outcomes to be a deterrent. He was a broken man in the end. But there was still one more bombshell to come.

After everybody who watched live was anticipating tomorrow's hearing with Haraco, it was announced that he's pulling a sickie and won't be attending, and it wasn't made clear when he will be attending. But for now #OpWatts is adjourned, and resumes on 1st Nov.

That's the bulk of the juicy stuff from today, and if @Voice4Victoria can think of any big points I've missed, please give me a nudge. Thanks to everyone who has shared their gratitude to both of us for covering the streaming, hope we'll be back in business again soon.