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| Daryl Maguire and Gladys Berejiklian IMAGE: The Sydney Morning Herald, 12 October 2020 |
NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), notice, excerpt, 1 September 2020:
Operation Keppel public notice
The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will hold a public inquiry as part of an investigation it is conducting into allegations the former NSW Member of Parliament for Wagga Wagga, Mr Daryl Maguire.
The Commission is investigating allegations that, from 2012 to August 2018, Mr Maguire engaged in conduct that involved a breach of public trust by using his public office, involving his duties as a member of the NSW Parliament and the use of parliamentary resources, to improperly gain a benefit for himself and/or entities close to him. These entities included G8wayinternational/G8wayinternational Pty Ltd and associated persons…….
In Week 4 of the subsequent Operation Keppel public hearings commencing 12 October 2020, NSW Premier & MLA for Wagga Wagga Gladys Berejiklian gave evidence before this ICAC inquiry, starting at 9:40am and ending for the day at 2:58pm.
In evidence Premier Berejiklian revealed she was in a personal relationship with Mr Maguire from as early as July 2014 until sometime after 16 August 2020.
For 19 months of those five years Daryl Maguire was a Liberal Party MLA in her own government, only resigning from the NSW Parliament on 3 August 2018 in the wake of another ICAC investigation, Operation Dasha, during which in evidence he made certain admissions concerning commissions on property development.
In the course of investigations into Mr. Maguire’s conduct a number of telephone call and email transcripts of communications between Maguire and Ms. Berejiklian were revealed that do not show the NSW Premier in the best light.
Calls for her resignation are beginning to appear on social media and both NSW Labor and the Greens have described her position as untenable.
At this point in time the Premier refuses to resign.
BACKGROUND
Operation Keppel Public Hearing Transcript, Monday 12 October 2020, Part 1 at https://www.icac.nsw.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/962/12-10-2020%20Operation%20Keppel%20transcript%20pp.%2001348-01437%20from%2009.30pm%20to%201.11pm.pdf.aspx
Operation Keppel Public Hearing Transcript, Monday 12 October 2020, Part 2 at https://www.icac.nsw.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/962/12-10-2020%20Operation%20Keppel%20transcript%20pp.%2001438-01471%20from%201.45pm%20to%203.00pm.pdf.aspx
UPDATE
Crickey, The Worm, extract, 15 October 2020:
In the latest updates out of ICAC, the ABC reports that disgraced former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire organised a 2016 meeting with then-treasurer and secret partner Gladys Berejiklian over a major local transport project that, although “vehemently” opposed by the roads minister at the time, went on to receive tens of millions in state and federal funds.
Additionally, The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Maguire has admitted to using his position to make money; for example, “having a glass of red” was code for an off-the-record meeting with a property developer and the former chief of staff to the then-planning minister, and he admitted to accepting thousands of dollars in cash on multiple occasions at Parliament House as part of a visa scam.
The paper also reports that the former staff member of Maguire’s who told the inquiry she was instructed to delete material from his electorate and parliamentary offices, Sarah Vasey, is now working for Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack.
Berejiklian yesterday survived two no-confidence motions against her, and, according to the ABC, maintains she had no knowledge of Maguire’s wrongdoing.
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