Councillor Bruce Hull asks Marion council for full story on recent fraud and corruption case

Marion councillors have turned on each other after it was revealed elected members were not made aware of a senior manager forging documents for an $8.8m sporting facility.

Marion councillor Bruce Hull has launched an attack on council, saying it has not been forthcoming with members, nor ratepayers, as it keeps quiet on a fraud and corruption case.

The Warracowie Ward councillor condemned the council’s approach to informing its members about the prosecution of a senior manager who forged liquor licence documents for the new $8.8m sports centre at the Edwardstown Memorial Oval.

“This is not the way elected members should be treated,” he said at the recent council meeting.

“It’s also not the way the policy for corruption and fraud issues should be dealt with.”

In August The Advertiser revealed elected members were not told former recreational and community facilities manager O’Hanlon, 44, received a good behaviour bond in February after pleading guilty in the Christies Beach Magistrates Court.
This followed a police investigation into allegations O’Hanlon fabricated letters from sporting clubs supporting a liquor licence application for the Edwardstown Memorial Oval sports centre.

“When we find out from a member of the bowling club and then have to ask a question on notice to find out what the outcome was,” Cr Hull said.

“Not only that, I don’t think were being told the whole story.”

The multimillion-dollar clubrooms at Edwardstown Memorial Oval. Picture: Colin James

The existence of the investigation remained confidential until last December, when a representative from one of the sporting clubs told a council meeting about the forged letters.

This prompted Cr Hull to question the council’s former chief executive, Adrian Skull, who said information could not be provided for legal reasons.

Mayor Kris Hanna suggested to the Cr Hull he had broken the trust of the chamber after entrusting in the media to seek answers.

“The question then is about the content of your conversation and whether you were accurately quoted and whether you made statements consistent with the maintaining public and confidence in the council,” Cr Hanna said.

Cr Hull’s reply suggested it was council’s doing if rate payers and the public had loss confidence, not his own inquiry into the matter.

“We made the public wonder if they can have trust and have confidence in this council after the was we found out about this information,” he said.

According to a council report O’Hanlon pleaded guilty to the charges at the first opportunity, entered a good behaviour bond for 12 months and was ordered to pay court costs.

SAPOL did not progress any other charges.