An investigation by the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner has concluded that VicForests hired a private investigator to conduct surveillance on environmentalists and an academic.
Investigation finds VicForests hired a private investigator to spy on anti-logging campaigners
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autotldr@lemmings.world [bot] 1 year ago
This is the best summary I could come up with:
“The overwhelming evidence uncovered through the two investigations shows that no Board member or executive of VicForests at that time had any knowledge of the individual being engaged to conduct the work as claimed,” it said in a statement.
The OVIC investigation follows one commissioned by VicForests itself, which failed to interview key witnesses involved in the alleged spying.
“Whilst the surveillance took place almost a decade ago, the seriousness of the allegations led my office to conduct the investigation upon becoming aware of them,” he said.
The private investigator at the centre of the claims, Alan Davey, said he was hired by VicForests to gather information to “discredit” certain people.
Ms Rees told the ABC in 2021 that VicForests saw her as a threat because she was using the legal system to challenge its right to log areas that were crucial to its business.
Mr Davey was paid tens of thousands of dollars for his work but later took legal action against VicForests after he was injured during a differing spying operation on a protest group.
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