A former Melbourne councilor accused of voter fraud allegedly provided to pay residents $500 to rig their poll papers.
Milad El-Halabi was elected to the northwest ward of the Moreland Metropolis Council – now Merri-bek Metropolis Council – in October 2020.
However police allege El-Halabi, his spouse Dianna, 52, and daughter Tania, 26, stole and interfered with postal ballots within the lead as much as the election.
The trio on Monday appeared earlier than the Melbourne Magistrates Courtroom for a committal listening to, the place Justice of the Peace Stephen Ballek will decide whether or not the case ought to go to trial.
All of them deny the costs.
Merri-bek chief govt Cathy Henderson instructed the courtroom the Victorian Electoral Fee first contacted her concerning the alleged election fraud on November 3, 2020.
Later that day, she acquired a name from one of many sitting councillors, Oscar Yildiz.
He instructed Ms Henderson a resident within the metropolis’s northwest ward noticed a “male particular person” in a skirt door-knocking properties and checking mailboxes for voting packs, the chief govt instructed the courtroom.
When the resident confronted the person, he allegedly instructed her Milad had despatched him.
Mr Yildiz additionally instructed Ms Henderson that Milad El-Halabi had provided residents $500 for his or her poll papers.
Ms Henderson couldn’t recall when Mr Yildiz stated the incidents befell, though he had made a grievance to the fee.
“My rapid concern was for him to offer the related data to the Victorian Electoral Fee and police,” she instructed the courtroom on Monday.
“It isn’t my function to analyze allegations of fraud.”
The fee’s electoral integrity and regulation director Keegan Bartlett additionally gave proof, telling the courtroom there was an irregular variety of duplicate ballots within the 2020 election.
Mr Bartlett stated he first heard of a grievance just a few days after the election, when a supervisor raised considerations a girl tried to acquire a brand new poll paper when data confirmed she had already voted.
The matter was escalated via to the Native Authorities Inspectorate, who then referred the case to the Victoria Police.
The listening to will proceed on Monday afternoon, with Councilor Yildiz because of give proof.
