Melbourne council hopeful arrested over suspected theft of rival's election posters
EXCLUSIVE: A Victorian real estate agent and council hopeful has been arrested by police over the suspected theft of his rival's election posters.
A Current Affair previously revealed up to 80 of Gurpreet Gill's election signs had vanished from yards and fences across the Casey area in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs.
Following the disappearances, Gill hatched a plan to insert AirTag trackers in some of his remaining posters.
READ MORE: Millers customers forced to match gift card spending with their own cash
A Current Affair previously revealed up to 80 of Gurpreet Gill's election signs had vanished from yards and fences across the Casey area in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs. Nine
Two of them were taken and tracked to outside rival candidate Jaz Masuta's home on October 8.
The posters were dumped in a field a day later and security footage captured a car that was similar to Masuta's silver Mazda passing a round-a-bout around the same time the AirTags pinged in the area.
Following A Current Affair's investigation, detectives from the Casey Criminal Investigation Unit swooped Friday morning, arresting and interviewing 35-year-old Masuta.
Two of the signs were stolen and tracked to outside rival candidate Jaz Masuta's home on October 8. Nine
He was released from custody and was expected to be charged on summons, Victoria Police said in a statement.
Officers did not specify what he would be charged with.
Masuta's phone was switched off when A Current Affair attempted to contact him for comment on Friday.
Masuta's phone was switched off when A Current Affair attempted to contact him for comment on Friday. Nine
He previously told the program someone was trying to "defame" him.
"We are not doing this stuff," he said.
Masuta's arrest comes after he claims to have received a bizarre forged legal letter, purported to be from a lawyer engaged by Gill.
The letter claimed "faecal material" had been found on Gill's stolen election posters.
"We believe that the faecal material is associated with the person(s) responsible for taking these signs.
Following the thefts, Gill hatched a plan to insert AirTag trackers in some of his remaining posters. Nine
"We are hereby requesting that Mr Masuta consent for immediate testing of his faeces and provide this sample (witnessed) to a laboratory of his choosing."
The criminal barrister whose name was on the letter confirmed to A Current Affair he did not send it and he did not act for Gill.
Gill denied any involvement in the forged letter.
In a statement to A Current Affair, Gill said he welcomed news of the arrest.
"I hope the [alleged] perpetrators are charged and that an end is brought to this matter," he said.
Both men failed in their bid to be elected in the Dillwynia ward, with results officially declared today.
We’d love to hear from you
