Election charge

By Belinda Nolan

FORMER Brimbank councillor Tran Siu has been charged with breaching the Local Government Act, over claims he distributed misleading information during the last council elections.

The Local Government Inspectorate filed charges against Mr Siu in the Melbourne Magistrates Court last week, following a 17-month investigation.

The disgraced Harvester Ward councillor had been under investigation since December 2008 after he was alleged to have distributed the unauthorised how to vote cards during that year’s municipal elections.

Members of the Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association (SunRRA) complained to the Victorian Electoral Commission, accusing Mr Siu of breaching the Act.

The complaint was passed on to Local Government Victoria, who referred the matter to the inspectorate.

The sluggish pace of investigations had angered Brimbank residents, who feared the enquiry would go nowhere.

In March this year, Western Metropolitan MP Bernie Finn raised the matter in Parliament, urging Local Government Minister Richard Wynne to take swift action on the investigation.

A spokeswoman last week confirmed that the inspectorate had commenced legal proceedings against Mr Siu, almost a year and a half after the investigation was first launched.

The breaches relate to inappropriate distribution of electoral material, along with two counts of providing false and misleading information.

Mr Siu told Star last week he could not comment on the case due to legal reasons but insisted he would be vigorously defending the charges.

He is expected to front the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court later this year.

A date has not been set for the hearing.