Latest news with #OperationAspen
The Age
a day ago
- Politics
- The Age
ICAC's big day out: Former mayor charged over misleading evidence
Say what you like about the Independent Commission Against Corruption – it works too quickly/too slowly, it's too secretive/too public, it's a kangaroo court/a bastion of our democracy – the one thing you can't accuse our state's top corruption warriors of is lying low. On Wednesday, the ICAC played a central role in Sydney's news cycle. The commission's big day in the spotlight started early: just after 7am, Eddie Obeid – the corrupt former Labor MP who was brought down after an extensive ICAC investigation found him guilty of misconduct in public office – plodded out of jail. Hours after he walked free, another ICAC victim was heading inside: Daryl Maguire, that bad boy regional MP whose relationship with former premier Gladys Berejiklian was revealed when the commission played tapped phone calls between the pair, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for misleading a corruption inquiry. He was swiftly released on bail. But the agency's sting doesn't stop there: CBD now brings you news that Bill Saravinovski, the former mayor of Bayside Council in Sydney's south, has been hit with three charges of giving misleading evidence to the commission. The ICAC quietly uploaded a document to its website late last week that provides some detail on Operation Aspen: it investigated allegations Saravinovski and others 'inappropriately or partially shared or disclosed confidential information to property developers' and that he supported an unsolicited development proposal from a property developer. It was decided, according to the document, to refer the matter to the Office of Local Government. A court found him guilty of misconduct after he berated council staff over the development of a car park where he failed to correctly declare a conflict of interest. While that occurred, the Director of Public Prosecutions was considering a request from the agency about whether there was sufficient evidence to charge him with three offences for giving misleading information during the investigation. Last week the DPP acted, laying three charges that are yet to be tested in court – he'll visit the Downing Centre late next month.
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
ICAC's big day out: Former mayor charged over misleading evidence
Say what you like about the Independent Commission Against Corruption – it works too quickly/too slowly, it's too secretive/too public, it's a kangaroo court/a bastion of our democracy – the one thing you can't accuse our state's top corruption warriors of is lying low. On Wednesday, the ICAC played a central role in Sydney's news cycle. The commission's big day in the spotlight started early: just after 7am, Eddie Obeid – the corrupt former Labor MP who was brought down after an extensive ICAC investigation found him guilty of misconduct in public office – plodded out of jail. Hours after he walked free, another ICAC victim was heading inside: Daryl Maguire, that bad boy regional MP whose relationship with former premier Gladys Berejiklian was revealed when the commission played tapped phone calls between the pair, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for misleading a corruption inquiry. He was swiftly released on bail. But the agency's sting doesn't stop there: CBD now brings you news that Bill Saravinovski, the former mayor of Bayside Council in Sydney's south, has been hit with three charges of giving misleading evidence to the commission. The ICAC quietly uploaded a document to its website late last week that provides some detail on Operation Aspen: it investigated allegations Saravinovski and others 'inappropriately or partially shared or disclosed confidential information to property developers' and that he supported an unsolicited development proposal from a property developer. It was decided, according to the document, to refer the matter to the Office of Local Government. A court found him guilty of misconduct after he berated council staff over the development of a car park where he failed to correctly declare a conflict of interest. While that occurred, the Director of Public Prosecutions was considering a request from the agency about whether there was sufficient evidence to charge him with three offences for giving misleading information during the investigation. Last week the DPP acted, laying three charges that are yet to be tested in court – he'll visit the Downing Centre late next month.
