Premier urges NSW Crime Commission to pursue Eddie Obeid’s $30 million windfall from corrupt coal license deal

Premier Chris Minns has written to the NSW Crime Commissioner offering extra funding, or legal changes if needed, to prevent former Labor minister Eddie Obeid keeping $30 million made from a corrupt coal licence deal.

The Premier has written to the state’s Crime Commissioner in a bid to prevent jailed former minister Eddie Obeid keeping $30 million made from a dodgy coal license deal. Picture: Joel Carrett

NSW Premier Chris Minns has called on the state’s Crime Commission to retrieve $30 million in profits obtained by disgraced former minister Eddie Obeid from a corrupt coal license deal.

In an interview with 2GB’s Ben Fordham, Minns said he had formally written to the NSW Crime Commissioner on Monday, offering additional resources or even changes to legislation if needed to ensure the funds could be recovered.

“I’ve made it clear to the Crime Commission and Commissioner in a letter yesterday that we will provide the resourcing, the funding or changes to the law if necessary,” he said on Tuesday.

“Because not only does justice need to be done, it needs to be seen to be done and the public need to have faith in the public institution.”

It comes after the Crime Commission recently determined it was not feasible to seize the $30 million, pointing to the complexity of the matter. But Minns said the Commission had the power to act under existing legislation.

NSW Premier Chris Minns wrote to the state’s Crime Commissioner on Monday. Picture: Nikki Short

“My sense is that this is the greatest and largest example of public corruption since the Rum Corps,” he said on 2GB.

“It is synonymous with public distrust in officials and with the Labor Party. And there needs to be a reckoning here.”

Obeid has been the subject of five separate corruption findings by the Independent Commission Against Corruption and served jail time for misconduct in public office.

“This wasn’t a one-off,” Minns said on 2GB.

“This is five different public inquiries into his behaviour and taking money from the people of NSW via public corruption.”

However, NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman accused the Premier of only acting on Obeid’s alleged corruption windfall because of media pressure.

“The only reason the NSW Premier has now taken any action on the Eddie Obeid corruption cash is because the media exposed it weeks ago,” Mr Speakman said.

NSW Opposition leader Mark Speakman accused the Premier of only acting because of media pressure. Picture: Christian Gilles / NewsWire

“Back when headlines first broke that a convicted former Labor minister was allowed to keep $30 million in corrupt gains, we immediately called for legislation — but the Police Minister simply said she was appalled and claimed nothing could be done. The Premier has again had to clean up after his inept Police Minister.”

Mr Speakman said the Minns Labor Government had failed to take real action until it was publicly embarrassed.

“The Minns Government only acted once it was caught standing still. It’s a small-target government, and token stunts are all they have to offer,” he said.

“Eddie Obeid, Ian Macdonald and Joe Tripodi weren’t outliers — they were at the heart of the last Labor Government. We need an end to the weak, reactive culture of NSW Labor.”

Investigations into recovering the funds remain ongoing.

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Originally published as Premier urges NSW Crime Commission to pursue Eddie Obeid’s $30 million windfall from corrupt coal license deal