By Ethan Benedicto
Berwick residents aren’t too keen with Casey’s sacked ex-councillors eyeing a comeback on the October election this year.
At Berwick High Street, two elderly locals were appalled by the news, with one of them saying “yeah no, it’s not something I’d be voting for.”
“I think that one councillor shouldn’t be up there, that’s what the name says to me,” one of them said, but did not mention a name.
The other replied saying “hopefully he wouldn’t get re-elected.”
“How could he? When his name’s been slandered, tarnished and everything else,” her friend said.
In 2020, then-Local Government Minister Adem Somyurek sacked the Casey councillors during the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission’s probe, called Operation Sandon.
An inquiry report in 2023 found that former mayors Sam Aziz and Geoff Ablett accepted more than $1.15 million in payments and donations from developer John Woodman.
There is no confirmation as to whether any of the ex-councillors will be facing any criminal charges.
Another resident, when asked if it was a good idea for any of them to run again, said “clearly not”.
“I don’t know much about it, but based on general information and the news, I would say no, that’s not very fair.”
A local who frequented the cafes said that the idea should never have been entertained.
“Well everyone’s obviously lost trust, a hundred per cent.
“Look, we’ve run without it for all this time, so they’re going to need to build some trust if they ever want to see themselves up there again,” she said.
Ex-deputy mayor Rex Flannery, who was not named in IBAC’s report and quit before the council was sacked, declared he would run for election.
A number of other ex-councillors, such as Damien Rosario and Wayne Smith are still undecided.
Some ex-councillors have called for any charges arising from Operation Sandon to be finalised before October’s council election.
