Vic corruption body to target 'low-flyers'

Victorians should not expect dramatic political scalps from their new anti-corruption commission, with the body to examine misconduct by people "flying under the radar".

The long-awaited first public hearing of the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) was told on Monday that the practice of greasing the palms of low-level government officials was not confined to the third world.

However, counsel assisting Tom Woodward SC indicated there was unlikely to be a repeat of the spectacular revelations at NSW's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) which led to corruption findings against two former ministers.

"Corruption does not always involve the dramatic fall from grace of politicians, union leaders and other high-flyers," Mr Woodward said.

"Sometimes those with apparently lower levels of authority in public office are nevertheless able to garner favours and benefits of significant value, and over a long period of time, precisely because they are able to fly under the radar."

He said it was important to show the "ordinary" faces of people engaged in misconduct.

"Indeed, it may be the face of someone who, for those outside the department or not dealing with the department, is largely invisible," Mr Woodward said.

Earlier this year, IBAC said in a report that it had felt hamstrung to investigate some corruption claims because of the high threshold set for it under the legislation.

Former NSW Labor MPs Eddie Obeid and Joe Tripodi were earlier this year found by ICAC to have acted corruptly over retail leases at Circular Quay.