2008 Corruption Inquiry
In February 2008, both elected officers and staff of Wollongong City Council were the centre of a major Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) inquiry. The inquiry revealed favourable treatment of local developers by certain Council staff. The inquiry heard evidence that a council planner had been sexually involved with three developers whilst assessing their developments. There was also evidence presented of an impersonation of ICAC officers and plans of intimidation. This attracted significant media attention and renewed calls for tightening of rules of developer donations to political parties. The Premier Morris Iemma also agreed that rules would be tightened as several of his Ministers were implicated in this scandal. On 4 March 2008, following recommendations from Commissioner Jerrold Cripps QC, the Minister for Local Government requested the Governor of New South Wales to dismiss the council and install a panel of administrators (Gabrielle Kibble AO, Dr Colin Gellatly and Robert McGregor AM) for four years citing clear evidence of systemic corruption in Council.
In October 2008, the ICAC referred briefs of evidence in relation to all eleven persons found to have acted corruptly to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). After considering the evidence available, the DPP commenced action and was successful in recording convictions for three of the eleven people ICAC found to have acted in a corrupt manner. A summary of the individuals concerned, and the determinations made by the Courts are as follows:
| Individual | Role | Details of ICAC recommendations to the DPP | Criminal findings | Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Vellar | Property Developer | various offences including offences under s. 249B(2) of corruptly giving benefits to Ms Morgan in return for her giving him favourable treatment to his DAs | Found guilty of three charges of giving false or misleading evidence to ICAC and one charge of fabricating a document. A further false or misleading evidence charge was dismissed. | He served a 10-month sentence via an intensive correctional order, was fined $3000 and given a two-year good behaviour bond. |
| Bulent “Glen” Tabak | Property Developer | various offences including under s.249B(2) of the Crimes Act for corruptly giving benefits to Ms Morgan and Mr Scimone | On 6 July 2010, Mr Tabak was found guilty of an offence of wilfully make false statement to the Commission or a Commission officer, contrary to section 80(c) of the ICAC Act . On 13 September 2010 Mr Tabak appealed against his conviction and sentence. The Judge dismissed the appeal and upheld the conviction and sentence. |
He was fined $2500 and given a two-year good behaviour bond. |
| Frank Gigliotti | Former Councillor of Wollongong City Council | for offences under s.249B(1) of the Crimes Act of corruptly soliciting a benefit from Mr Vellar and under s.80(c) of the ICAC Act for wilfully making a false statement to or misleading the Commission | Faced seven charges. Three were withdrawn, he was acquitted of one and found not guilty of another. He was found guilty of two counts of giving false or misleading evidence to ICAC. | He served four months in prison. |
The New South Wales Government installed administrators to run the Council. Dr Col Gellatly, Robert McGregor and Gabrielle Kibble were appointed to the administrator roles, but as of January 2010 Mrs Kibble resigned and was replaced by Richard Colley. Following the passing and assent of the Local Government (Shellharbour and Wollongong Elections) Act, 2011 (NSW), local government elections were re-instituted in 2011, and a new Council elected, replacing the administrators.
Read more about this topic: City Of Wollongong
Famous quotes containing the words corruption and/or inquiry:
“The corruption of man is followed by the corruption of language.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The philosophic spirit of inquiry may be traced to brute curiosity, and that to the habit of examining all things in search of food.”
—W. Winwood Reade (1838–1875)