Surveillance footage and photos revealed to an inquiry on Wednesday show Transclean boss George Haritos and Mr Pinder meeting in Williamstown, South Yarra and V/Line's office carpark between April and August this year, while Transclean was carrying out extra cleaning work across the network during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At a separate meeting in Williamstown on August 19, Mr Haritos is captured counting $100 notes, which he puts into an envelope and places in the rear seat of Mr Pinder's car. Mr Pinder sought to hide the money behind his front door when he was raided by IBAC investigators after the meeting. This is the second corruption probe into V/Line in three years, with the current inquiry uncovering more "serious" alleged conduct, including that Mr Pinder received $320,000 from cleaning contractor Transcleanin 2018, months after he awarded the company a contract worth up to $40 million.
Surveillance photos capture former V/Line boss James Pinder and Transclean boss George Haritos meeting at a Williamstown cafe in August."Why did you need to write a message like that to him if the truth be, this was just payment of gambling proceeds which he knew were gambling proceeds and, if asked, he would say so?”
Separate text messages between the pair in 2018 reveal Mr Pinder promising Mr Bollas a job at V/Line with a salary that was upwards of $200,000. "For you brother, everything is possible, always," Mr Pinder texted.