An ongoing inquiry into the misuse of public funds by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in Victoria has heard how an African community leader in Melbourne pocketed around $75,000 in taxpayer funds through the manipulation of a grants program. The Somali Australian Council of Victoria (SACOV) allegedly received the funds after the mayor of Banyule City Council, Rick Garotti, lobbied the state gaming minister, Marlene Kairouz—a fellow ALP factional ally—for a $100,000 grant under the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. SACOV received $75,000, which IBAC Counsel Chris Carr S.C. alleged was almost entirely pocketed by the head of the organisation, Dr. Hussein Haraco. Financial records obtained by IBAC revealed that the funds were supposed to be split between $50,000 for wages and salaries, $7,000 to video, $6,000 to admin, and $4,200 to training. Carr told the Inquiry that Haraco pocketed all but $6,000 for admin. The doctor was supposed to front …