FORMER Brimbank councillor Natalie Suleyman has indicated she would like to represent the community again, despite several allegations having been levelled against her in a scathing report by the Ombudsman.
Victorian Ombudsman George Brouwer released his report on improper conduct of councillors at Brimbank Council last Thursday. The report made 30 recommendations all of which the State Government has promised to act upon.
Ms Suleyman features consistently throughout the report with several revelations about her behaviour while representing ratepayers.
The report names Ms Suleyman as the leader of the 'ruling faction' that "voted in block to support the faction, even when those decisions were not necessarily in the best interests of the community".
In a written statement released to the media through her lawyer, Ms Suleyman described the Ombudsman's report as a "witch-hunt" against her. "I am concerned that my political opponents have used the Ombudsman's inquiry to continue a spiteful political witch-hunt against me; often under the cloak of anonymity."
She said she was happy to answer any questions from Local Government Victoria. "I will not allow this to hinder my deep commitment to serve the community in the future," she said.
Another criticism by the Ombudsman was the influence on Brimbank Council by outsiders. The main ones identified were Keilor MP George Seitz, Ms Suleyman's father and Planning Minister Justin Madden's electorate officer Hakki Suleyman; who was stood down as electorate officer on Friday; Derrimut MP Telmo Languiller and former federal MP Andrew Theophanous [the husband of former councillor Kathryn Eriksson]. "Their influence was exerted behind closed doors and at times for their own personal or political motivations," Mr Brouwer reported.
The report focused on the 11 councillors who governed between 2005 and '08 and revealed:
That Ms Eriksson should be answerable to the Local Government Victoria for revealing an in-camera resolution to the media.
That former councillor Ken Capar used confidential information obtained through the council in an attempt to start a private business distributing automated toilets.
That 115 pornographic images and two inappropriate movies were found on Mr Capar's council-provided laptop computer.
That Brimbank Council never audited councillors' mobile phone bills, despite the total bill for eleven councillors between 2005 and 2008 equating to $63,757 (after reimbursement from councillors).
A few days after the Ombudsman's investigation began, Ms Suleyman left more than $1500 in cash under the storeroom door in Mr Foa's office. Former councillor Anthony Abate left $200. The cash was reimbursement for personal calls made on their council mobile phones.
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