Former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has lost her bid to drop corruption findings

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Gladys Berejiklian has lost her court challenge to drop the NSW anti-corruption body's corruption findings against her.
Gladys Berejiklian has lost her effort to drop corruption findings against her.

Former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has lost her appeal of corruption findings against her.

The state’s anti-corruption watchdog, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), investigated Berejiklian over some of her dealings while in government, relating to her former relationship with then-MP Daryl Maguire.

It found she and Maguire had engaged in “serious corrupt conduct” while in office.

The NSW Appeals Court rejected Berejiklian’s bid to dismiss ICAC’s findings.

ICAC probe

ICAC investigates allegations of corruption in NSW. In 2018, it began investigating former state MP Daryl Maguire over allegations he used his political position to profit from property deals.

Three years later, ICAC broadened its inquiry to include then-Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who had been in a “close personal relationship” with Maguire.

It specifically looked into her role in helping secure funding for two projects in Maguire’s electorate of Wagga Wagga — a clay target shooting association and a local music hall.

Findings

In September 2021, Berejiklian stepped down as NSW Premier while the ICAC investigation took place.

In her final press conference as Premier, she maintained that she had “always acted with the highest level of integrity”.

Two years later, ICAC concluded both she and Maguire had engaged in “serious corrupt conduct”.

ICAC found Berejiklian breached the public’s trust on several occasions by awarding public funding in a way that could have benefited Maguire.

It also said she failed to disclose his dealings to the anti-corruption body.

ICAC did not recommend Berejiklian face a criminal trial.

She has since asked the NSW Appeals Court to review the decision, saying ICAC had made errors in its findings against her.

Today’s decision

Two out of three judges at the NSW Court of Appeals dismissed Gladys Berejiklian’s appeal against the corruption findings, rejecting all 13 of her arguments.

A third judge sided with Berejiklian in one of her defences, saying that one ICAC staffer had overstepped her powers in preparing the final report.

Today’s decision means the findings of “serious corrupt conduct” against Berejiklian still stand.

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