ICAC investigating former Canterbury-Bankstown Council employee and contractor

The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption is investigating the conduct of a former employee and a former contractor at Canterbury-Bankstown Council, and will hold a public inquiry into the matter next month.

The powerful anti-corruption body announced the investigation on Tuesday, saying it was looking at the conduct of former council employee Benjamin Webb and former contractor Pietro Cossu, as part of its investigation called Operation Mantis.

The ICAC has announced a new inquiry.Credit:

The Herald can reveal the ICAC investigation came about after the council’s general manager, Matthew Stewart, reported the matter.

In an email to councillors with the subject “Confidential & Privileged RE: Operation Mantis”, Stewart wrote: “For some period of time the [ICAC] has been investigating a matter that I reported to them consistent with my statutory obligations.

“I can advise that these two people of interest are not employed or contracted to the council and this has been the case for some time,” he wrote. “At this time there are no persons of interest employed by council.”

The ICAC is investigating whether Webb and Cossu “partially or dishonestly exercised their official functions” by using or attempting to use a company called PMLV Invest and Const for recruitment subcontractor services without disclosing that the pair had a financial interest in the company, or that they anticipated having one. Conduct between May 2020 and December 2022 is being examined.

‘We notified the commission about our concerns and have been assisting and fully co-operating with their inquiries.’

Canterbury-Bankstown Council spokesperson

The commission is also looking at whether the pair “partially or dishonestly exercised their official functions” to favour a second company, called General Works and Construction Pty Ltd “by attempting to influence the award of council contract/s” to the company, or by using the first company to subcontract General Works and Construction council contracts to benefit themselves or others.

Stewart told councillors it was “vitally important” they did not speak to the media about the investigation.

“The making of any public comment or anything of a public nature as a councillor of an organisation assisting the commission in a self-reported matter may bring council, other councillors and/or staff into disrepute and will not be tolerated by ICAC as it may undermine and prejudice the integrity of the investigation.”

In a statement, a council spokesperson confirmed the investigation began after the council notified the corruption body.

“We notified the commission about our concerns and have been assisting and fully co-operating with their inquiries,” the spokesperson said. “As the matter is now set down for a public inquiry, council will not be making any further comment.”

The hearing will be presided over by ICAC Commissioner Helen Murrell SC, and is expected to take three weeks.

Webb and Cossu were contacted for comment.

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