Sam Aziz: Former Casey mayor facing health battle amid corruption chargesLiam BeattyNewsWireMon, 2 February 2026 1:41PM
A former Melbourne mayor charged with corruption offences is undergoing dialysis for a life-threatening health condition, a court has been told.
Sameh “Sam” Aziz, 53, was due to face the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday afternoon for a committal mention on the charges that were laid by Victoria’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) in September last year.
But his barrister Justin Wheelahan said Mr Aziz was instead receiving dialysis, which was “treatment critical for keeping him alive”.
Mr Aziz has been charged with five offences, including receiving secret commissions, misuse of position and misconduct in public office, alleged to have occurred when he was serving as a councillor for the City of Casey in Melbourne’s outer southeast.
According to charge sheets, the former mayor allegedly received “valuable consideration” from well-known property developer John Woodman between May 10, 2017, and October 31, 2019.
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It’s alleged Mr Aziz was expected to “show favour” towards Mr Woodman or his then company Watsons.
IBAC alleges Mr Aziz failed to declare his dealings with Mr Woodman and attempted to gain him an advantage when planning permits relating to two properties were before the council in 2018.
Mr Woodman has been charged with a single offence of corruptly giving Mr Aziz secret commissions and appeared in court on Monday.
Mr Woodman’s barrister, Andrew Tragardh, said he’d received a “very substantial” brief of evidence from prosecutors on December 1 and needed more time to read and understand it.
The brief included a 62-page statement of alleged facts, 85 witness statements and 1000 exhibits, the court was told.
Mr Tragardh suggested it could be “many months” until he was in a position to properly provide Mr Woodman legal advice.
Mr Wheelahan, for Mr Aziz, agreed and the case was adjourned by magistrate Leon Fluxman.
The pair are expected to return to court in late April.
IBAC began probing the council in 2017 and held public hearings in 2019 and 2020.
The entire City of Casey council was sacked by the Victorian government in 2020, with an administrator appointed until October 2024.
Originally published as Sam Aziz: Former Casey mayor facing health battle amid corruption charges
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