1st June 2022
Andrew Rule, in his Herald Sun article 22nd of May 2022, ‘Was ‘slug-gate’ a slimy trick to divert public money?”. Has well and truly, let the ‘cat out of the bag.’
This is the most egregious and far-reaching corrupt enterprise to be uncovered in this State.
There will be many very nervous people in the Health Department, Police, Local Government, and a couple of politicians who will face awkward questions about corrupt behaviours. As will the Auditor General, the State financial watchdog, who will need to answer some confronting questions about his efficacy, as he was across the ‘Community Chef’ books showing the failures effectively from the start.
The big question is how did he not detect insolvency.
This is all about a meticulously contrived plan hatched to create a cash cow for recipients not yet revealed.
Simply set up a catering business with government funds in the aged care and hospital food supply chain. The owners of the enterprise ‘Community Chef’, local government, and the Health Department can also be the major customer base.
They also happen to be the industry’s regulators, so the few competitors in this specialised area would rapidly drop off.
The equivalent of having ‘Hungry Jacks’ regulate McDonald’s, what could go wrong? Especially if you disregard gross conflict of interest and criminal conspiracies.
The significant job losses by closing these businesses is an oxymoron to the rationale of establishing ‘Community Chef, to create jobs. The net effect was overall job losses in this sector, one of the most significant smoke and mirrors acts ever perpetrated on the Victorian public
The plan started to look shaky when not all the players in the catering field followed the script. Instead, their nemesis became ICooks, who steadfastly refused to acquiesce to the conspirator’s grand plan. And year after year, ‘Community Chef’ continued to need more cash injections than ever to keep afloat. A basket case enterprise of epic proportions.
The architects of the conspiracy, now with concern almost panic for the future of ‘Community Chef’, moved into arguably illegal actions to achieve their objectives to stave off insolvency, which was arguably evident and covered up for many years.
One of the strongest motivators for the conspirators was the technology that ICooks had developed.
Texture modified food is a technique of processing food, modifying the texture, and then presenting it in its original form. Designed to replace the vitamised muck that people unable to eat solid food have traditionally endured.
When the conspirators launched their offensive against ICooks, we believe it was no coincidence that I Cooks were well advanced in securing a series of multi-Million-dollar contracts for their technology locally and internationally.
The value of this business was heading towards the triple-figure million-dollar levels. Yet, all the contracts ready to complete, worth somewhere north of $20 million, were cancelled because of local government and State bureaucrats interventions. As a result, homegrown technology that was in demand by the world’s markets was lost.
If ICooks could be forced into liquidation, the conspirators could pick up the patents at a bargain price, and the future of the ‘Community Chef’ as a cash cow would be assured. ICooks never liquidated.
The ubiquitous and converted main prize in the game was lost to Community Chef.
‘Community Chef’ has now gone owing millions, absorbed with all its debts by the Health Department currently claiming under-resourcing for health failures in this State. Perhaps spending more wisely would help their current crisis.
The conspirator’s intelligence was a bit like Russia’s intel on Ukraine. They underestimated the resolve of their enemy. Ian Cook refused to quietly accede to the market pressure created by the conspirators. This forced the conspirators to resort to risky strategies, like slugs, to achieve their aims
Amongst ICooks supporters are two retired detectives who have worked pro bono for over two years, putting together volumes of intelligence and evidence in this case. Their dossier exposes conspiracies and a raft of other criminal activities.
The two detectives achieved what the responsible Government entities did not bother, or could not do, to see off this artifice called ‘Community Chef’ and sever the money pipeline that bled the company of millions.
The location of the other end of that pipeline is pretty evident to all involved in this matter. The detectives are now working on converting intelligence gathered into evidence.
The ex-detectives helping ICooks, have lost none of their skills. Although retired you can take police out of policing but not their loyalty to their oath, which is innate.
Slug-gate is heading inextricably and rapidly towards the ‘bring down’ of the perpetrators, their minions, and Kama for the victims.
The infamous Red Shirts Rorts, still being investigated (we think), pales into insignificance. The taxpayer was rorted for $388k, compared to the Slug-gate scandal, which is circa $50 million at a minimum—ultimately heading closer to $100m.
From the first briefing, the Community Advocacy Alliance (CAA) received the CAA formed the view that this was a profoundly serious criminal matter of epic proportions. Further briefings reinforced the initial evaluation.
The failures by responsible agencies are numerous, and the individuals are sure to be exposed.
At the top of the list must be the Auditor General’s Office, who was across the ‘Community Chef’ books but either did not understand what they were looking at, incompetence, or something else.
Not far behind is Victoria Police, who we suspect, given the average lack of knowledge within Policing of corporate operations and governance, did not recognise the issue’s magnitude. However, elements within VicPol who did know acted corruptly.
IBAC has also been very tardy. Given that their inability to investigate the matter was claimed to be manpower, the offer from the CAA of a number of former detectives to investigate on behalf of IBAC pro bono was rejected.
The Slug-gate artifice is a huge issue with tentacles reaching far and wide; this probably understates the reality.
Once the scabs are torn back, what will be revealed will be monumental, leading right to the door of the most powerful leaders in the land.
We strongly encourage Andrew Rule and others to continue to investigate and expose the treacherous conspirators and their criminal misdeeds.
Question How are you ever going to get this heard given our “judicial” system? We know IBAC is governed ( and answerable to) by the political power in place
We also having pressing judicial questions however NO ONE wants to hear these-
eg charges against Andrews- a criminal case dismissed before a hearing- pretty sure that is totally illegal- Anyway I hope that this comes to show how corrupt and complacent the “wrong” people can be- we need to support Andrew Rule….( very fitting name by the way!!!)
Good question how are we ever going to get this heard, I along with thousands of other Victorians am STILL waiting to find out * who * paid a security firm Millions of dollars for 3 months work?
I had the same issue with IBAC, they informed me they could not investigate corruption I had put before them due to lack of funding and being under resourced. They didn’t require to investigate I have given them the evidence and witnesses to bring the accused persons
before the Courts, I did IBAC’s job for them and they still refused to bring the accused before the Courts. There is something terribly wrong with IBAC and it has nothing to do with being under resourced?
Slug gate had “Suss” written all over it. Please do all you can to achieve justice for “I Cook” as they deserve all the help and recompense available.
I hope to GOD the opposition make this issue their main running campaign come the Nov state election. The public of this state have to wake up to the rorts this Labor government have inflicted on the poor people of this state.
keep up the pressure, this government MUST be accountable for it’s actions, I cannot remember or we have paid back the money is not good enough. The Premier hides behind his “big build” approach, whether the project is viable, warranted or in the best interests of the victorian taxpayer is irrelevant.
I am shocked, but not the least bit surprised at the allegations. I am both shocked and surprised at the possible scale/extent of the fraud. This just one issue that must be pursued to bring the perpetrators to justice…and I’m not talking about Andrews’ brand of negligent justice.
Slug-gate is a mixture of corruption, greed and deception at all levels of government including government agencies. Those perpetrators involved need to be exposed and brought to justice for the damage, both personally and financially, they have inflicted on a reputable company and its employees. Lets not overlook the misappropriation of taxpayer funds as seems apparent in this case. We can only hope IBAC has the means and power to properly investigate and all those seeking justice here have the assistance and willpower to see this through to deliver the justice they deserve.
Yet another brilliant idea expose Ivan. The gravity of the situation compounds with every day that passes as does the strength of evidence. The fringe dwellers caught up in this mammoth institutional conspiracy would be wise to jump ship immediately so as to come out on the right side of the story when all is exposed. What is the reason for the inordinate delay by the Supreme Court in this matter?
The underhanded activity by our leaders is sickening
Yes these dirty tricks need to be uncovered and exposed. All involved should be put before the high court. So this will never happen to a honest family company.
I can’t wait to see “slug slime” over the faces of corrupt officials!!!!!!!
There is something rotten in the state of Denmark. Oh, Marcellus made a mistake. Surely he meant Victoria.
I wait impatiently when the heads will start to roll and our faith in democracy will once again be restored.
What about the corruption with Comcare doctors. They get paid to write reports based on their assumptions. No tests, no treatment and no proof and refusal to refer patients to appropriate specialists. What they cant see they don’t believe. The caring doctors won’t
work for Comcare. Magistrates come to decisions when they don’t know anything about medical conditions. Comcare destroy the records so there is not history available. This is the same as the returned soldiers have been treated.
this does not surprise me but it is happening Australia wide huge darn huge the corruption time to expose all of the goings on in every state
It will be interesting to see how the new Albanese Government acts, with regard to this ‘turd wrapped in fairy floss’ called the Victorian State Government and it fetid minions in operation. They have been fully aware of all the goings on as far as iCook and the Dandenong Mechanics’ Institute amongst many other ‘little shyts of horrors’ being carried out by many local government operatives around Victoria. It will be interesting as well to see what is really looked into by our new Prime Minister within his party and other members of his government and what will be swept under an already sticky carpet; particularly those who have themselves been in local government as Councillor and Mayor of an Eastern Council and been directly involved in reprehensible activities being orchestrated by State Government appointees that have had a direct operational interest in Community Chef and who see fit to add slugs to the recipe in play. Particularly as Mr. Albanese’s office along with Mr. Andrews and his Ministers have been made aware of what has also been taking place elsewhere in Dandenong. Will Mr. Andrews be a token sacrifice, will the Prince of terrestrial gastropod interior decoration (with or without tissues) get a lovely big golden hand shake and re-settlement to another plush local government position, as his predecessor had set up for him in Ipswich, or are we going to see a redress for the victims wherein they “actually” do the honorable thing and use ratepayer and tax payer funds to fix what they broke: instead of as a huge and seemingly fully accessible, no questions asked slush fund/crime mitigation bank for corrupt and morally warped sub Emperors to plaster on more fairy floss while they make their corporate getaways?
You will wake up one morning and you will think that you were having a nightmare. Nothing about illegal and corrupt practices ever took place. The media is silenced, the opposition is silenced and no one else in the city can remember anything. Australia is a corrupt country but the peasants have been trained to think ‘it does not get better than this”. If you do not repeat the phrase at every opportunity you are in trouble. The nightmares of Australia are only remembered by madmen who do not know how to survive the easy way.
Are we living in Russia or China??
It is a complete nightmare?