Former Ipswich Mayor Andrew Antoniolli arrested while eating dinner with family in 2018

Legal matters are still hanging over the head of the former police officer, more than three years after he was first charged with fraud offences.

Former Ipswich Mayor Andrew Antoniolli leaves Brisbane Supreme Court after in June. Photo: John Gass

Former Ipswich Mayor Andrew Antoniolli was arrested while eating dinner with his family, and his former colleagues also claim the former police officer was forced to spend the night in the watch-house in a “totally unnecessary” display of power.

The claims come from a joint submission to the parliamentary inquiry into the Crime and Corruption Commission’s investigation into Logan City Council which led to councillors being charged with fraud.

Mr Antoniolli, who still has legal matters hanging over his head, was not among the nine former and current councillors to put their name to the submission.

The judgement is still reserved on Mr Antoniolli’s case in the Queensland Court of Appeal. Photo: John Gass

Almost a year after disgraced former Mayor Paul Pisasale was arrested, Mr Antoniolli was charged with fraud in May 2018.

He was found guilty a year later, only to be acquitted in December last year.

“On 29 May 2018, Antoniolli was arrested late in the day for an alleged breach of bail, by serving police officers seconded to the CCC and transported from his home at Brassall to the Ipswich Watchhouse,” the submission claimed.

“He was having dinner with his wife and children when his arrest took place in front of his extremely distraught family.

“His arrest occurred when no magistrates were available at such late hour to grant bail and Antoniolli was forced to endure a totally unnecessary night in (the) watchhouse.

“He was not a flight risk and unlikely to reoffend, which was confirmed by his prompt release the following morning in the Ipswich Magistrates Court.”

Mr Antoniolli was arrested in May 2018 while mayor. Photo: John Gass

The former and current councillors, who are calling for compensation and a public apology for their dismissal in 2018, claimed officers used “their powers in a totally high-handed, improper and completely unnecessary manner”.

“(They knew) the consequences and the considerable adverse publicity after Mayor Antoniolli had spent the night on the watch house floor,” the submission noted.

“Given the very minor nature of the alleged breach, which must have been obvious to the arresting CCC officers, this was clearly an abuse of process as the need to arrest him that night around the family dinner table was not proportional to the alleged wrongdoing.

“Those powers of arrest were available to the CCC only as a direct result of its secondment of serving police officers.

“ICAC in New South Wales - that state’s equivalent of the CCC - does not permit the secondment of serving police officers to ICAC.

“In Queensland, the secondment of serving police officers to the CCC with powers of arrest - and operating effectively as judge, jury and executioner - should cease.”

Read more stories by Lachlan McIvor here.