Letter To The Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission
- Margaret Singleton
- Aug 18, 2022
- 2 min read
Letter from Margaret Singleton and Fiona O'Hehir to the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission in support of Lana and Boris Zaitsev.
Over the years, Fiona O'Hehir and I have had many conversations with Lana Zaitsev
regarding the building dispute that has left her distressed, anxious and fearful. Notes from those encounters were collated and from that, Fiona and I sent an email to the Victorian Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) on the 12th September 2018.
Below is a copy of the said email. For Lana's protection against entrapment, certain items have been redacted.
Recently, Lana recorded an audiotape interview with Fiona that depicts her harrowing
experience which can be listened to on this website.
Important to note: In the 2018 IBAC email, we refer to Lana's figure that thirteen consultant reports were required in preparation for her case at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). In the 2021 audio interview, Lana updates that number which exponentially escalated to 150 reports. This seems incredulous but is true.
IBAC did not investigate our complaint about Lana's situation and it appears this was partly because of funding considerations.
In reply correspondence, the Commission stated it is only able to investigate a very small number of matters.
This was disappointing with regard to all our cases. IBAC is one of our most valued public institutions.
In a democracy, anti-corruption agencies are really the only brake that holds back systemic wrongdoing and should accordingly be generously funded at the state and federal level. To preach otherwise only demonstrates a lack of understanding as to what actually constitutes corruption and how that manifests in society.
Our stories evidence a pattern of damage as a result of excessive wrongdoing by the
Victorian building regulator. At some point, this needs to be acknowledged.
The Zaitsev experience must never be allowed to happen again.
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