Vic official loses bid to bypass IBAC

A former Victorian education department official will be publicly questioned during anti-corruption hearings, despite his lawyers arguing it would prejudice any criminal charges he may face in the future.

Darrell Fraser's lawyer, Antony Trood, on Thursday made an application that his client be questioned in private - or not at all - by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission because to do otherwise would damage his reputation.

Mr Trood also argued the commission had already heard so much evidence from other witnesses that his client would have nothing to add.

Commissioner Stephen O'Bryan said it was possible Mr Fraser would face criminal charges in the future, but it was speculative to suggest information he gave during the hearing would prejudice any future trials.

"Mr Fraser is a central person of interest," Mr O'Bryan said on Thursday.

"I find it important that Mr Fraser's information for all such matters be heard in public."

Mr Fraser, a former deputy secretary of the education department, and a number of his colleagues are accused of improper dealings during the Ultranet IT project tender process.

It's alleged he did everything in his power to ensure his favoured IT venture won the multimillion-dollar contract and stacked the tender evaluation board with his friends and associates.

IBAC has also heard that Mr Fraser accepted overseas junkets and secretly paid $1 million to prop up the company that was eventually awarded the Ultranet contract.

Earlier, former acting department secretary Jeff Rosewarne failed to recall specific dealings or conversations related to allegations of corruption within the education department during his time there.

Mr Rosewarne also denied knowing Mr Fraser had made a $1 million payment to CSG, the company awarded the Ultranet contract.

As department secretary, Mr Rosewarne had approved the payment.

The Ultranet IT system was dumped in 2013 after the $60 million budget for the project blew out to a reported $240 million.

Mr Fraser is expected to be questioned publicly in Melbourne on March 16 - he will be the last witness to take the stand.