Adelaide City councillor won seat by 31 votes through bribery and illegal practices, court told

Jing Li is only on the Adelaide City Council due to “illegal” vote-tampering and the entire election should be re-done, a court has heard.

Adelaide City councillor Jing Li victory in the 2022 election is being challenged in the Court of Disputed Returns. Picture: Dean Martin

An Adelaide City councillor won his seat by 31 votes through “bribery” and “illegal practices” that saw as many as seven people registered to vote in the same one-bedroom apartment, a court has heard.

On Tuesday, former councillor Alexander Hyde asked the Court of Disputed Returns to declare last year’s election void and unseat victorious candidate Jing Li.

Mr Li has not been charged with any criminal offence.

Councillor Phillip Martin and former councillor Anne Moran listened from the packed public gallery as Simon Ower KC, for Mr Hyde, urged the court to act.

“The Central Ward of the Adelaide City Council is a long way from the halls of Canberra, but it’s an important facet of our democracy that there be free and fair elections,” he said.

Alexander Hyde in 2021, during his time as a councillor. Picture: Matt Turner.

Mr Hyde has petitioned the court to overturn his loss in last November’s election.

He claims Mr Li and his associates engaged in “illegal practices” resulting in “illegitimate votes” – accusations that Mr Li has repeatedly denied.

He further claims his bid is supported by “covert recordings” of Mr Li and his associates, which were released to him by order of the Supreme Court.

Mr Li has repeatedly denied Mr Hyde’s accusations. Picture: Dean Martin

In his petition, Mr Hyde said Jing Li was elected as the fourth candidate for Central Ward, while he was elected fifth.

“Given the margin of votes was 31, the result of the election was affected in that, had the illegal practices not been committed, Jing Li would not have been elected,” he says.

He alleges Mr Li “offered a bribe” to his allies by “promising a job to the person who managed to obtain the most enrolments and votes for him”.

Mr Hyde claims Central Ward had an “influx” of 1587 new voters in 2022, compared with just 48 in North Ward and a decrease of 48 voters in South Ward.

That influx, he claims, was predominantly “Chinese-speaking persons and international students”, making it “reasonable to infer” it was the result of “illegal practices”.

He further claims “numerous properties with one bedroom” had “multiple voters registered... in one instance, up to seven people”.

On Tuesday, Mr Ower said the court had an “important role” to ensure the election had been “freely and fairly” conducted.

“We say that, on the basis the illegal practices have occurred, this court should grant our order that the election be declared void,” he said.

The trial continues.