Crime and Corruption Commission facing lawsuit from wrongly charged councillors

Mayors and councillors sacked due to CCC investigations are now looking at legal action after a review of the watchdog recommended widespread change.

The peak body representing Queensland councils has called for other failed Crime and Corruption Commission cases against mayors and councillors to be reviewed after an inquiry recommended widespread changes to the watchdog.

Former Logan councillor Trevina Schwarz on Wednesday revealed she and others were considering seeking compensation after they were wrongly charged with fraud by the CCC in 2019.

Ms Schwarz, who was sacked in the wake of the charge, also said she wanted the Palaszczuk government and the watchdog to apologise following the immense toll it had taken on her and her family.

But Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman said that was a matter for the CCC, while the watchdog refused to comment.

Ms Schwarz said the saga had “destroyed” her life and had taken a “huge” toll on her family.

“You’d walk in (to) a home that you’d lived for 30 years and people would look at you and point as you were walking down the street,” she told ABC Radio.

“My son was abused in Bunnings and asked to come outside so the fellow could fight him.”

Asked whether she was seeking compensation, Ms Schwarz said the councillors were speaking with the legal team.

Corruption-buster Tony Fitzgerald and retired Supreme Court judge Alan Wilson released their long-awaited report into the CCC this week after a parliamentary inquiry raised serious concerns about how the watchdog handled its investigation into eight Logan councillors.

The Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew the fraud charges last year citing insufficient evidence to proceed to trial.

Former Logan councillor Trevina Schwarz has revealed she and others were considering seeking compensation after they were wrongly charged with fraud by the CCC in 2019. . Picture Patrick Woods

Local Government Association of Queensland CEO Alison Smith on Wednesday said the Logan matter wasn’t the only failed prosecution launched by the CCC against elected members and that other cases needed to be reviewed.

“Queensland deserves a corruption watchdog we can all have faith in, and making sure failed cases are reviewed and any lessons learned are key to this,” she said.

Ms Fentiman said Queenslanders could trust the CCC and that the proposed changes would go to Cabinet on Monday.

But she refused to say whether or not the Logan councillors deserved compensation, instead saying she couldn’t comment because they had sort legal advice.

The Attorney-General insisted she had “real sympathy” for them and could understand how “tough” it had been.

A photo posted on Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's Instagram account pictured with retired judge Alan Wilson, Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman and Tony Fitzgerald. Photo: Instagram.

LGAQ CEO Alison Smith. Photo: Supplied

Meanwhile former Ipswich councillor David Pahlke called for the sacked Ipswich City councillors to have their case reviewed and receive compensation in a submission to the inquiry.

“I truly believe the only way forward is a new set of guidelines, protocols and rules can be implemented and to review past cases (Ipswich) which has now been proven to be highly questionable and ascertain what was done incorrectly, and make an apology and financial restitution to the sacked Ipswich City Councillors,” he wrote.

Queensland Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman speaks to the media during a press conference in Brisbane. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

“My life, my career and my reputation have been destroyed by the wrongful actions of the CCC and whose advice was given (redacted) to at the time, to unjustly dismiss Ipswich City Council.

“To correct this, so this does not happen again, one must look at the past and review what happened. I am somewhat very disappointed at the limitations of the Terms of Reference. How does one right a wrong? How does one get Justice?”