Ex-Logan councillor Phil Pidgeon requests PCCC hearing

A former Logan City councillor plans to give his side of the story to the body investigating the Crime and Corruption Commission.

Some of the ex Logan councillors after their fraud charges were dismissed with lawyer terry O’Gorman

A former Logan City councillor, accused of fraud before the charge was dropped, has lodged a formal request to address the Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee about his case.

Ex-councillor Phil Pidgeon said his request was the first of many forms of redress, including legal action.

Former Logan councillor Phil Pidgeon.

Mr Pidgeon said he had asked for permission to address the PCCC as part of a review into the Crime and Corruption Commission and the way it handled the charging of eight Logan councillors with fraud in 2019.

He said the PCCC was considering whether to allow the former Logan councillors to make submissions after the official submission period closed in August and before their fraud charges were dismissed.

He was charged with fraud in April 2019 along with ex-councillors, Cherie Dalley, Russell Lutton, Steve Swenson, Laurie Smith, Trevina Schwarz, Jennie Breene, and former mayor Luke Smith, on the basis that they allegedly caused detriment to the council’s former CEO Sharon Kelsey by terminating her employment.

PCCC chairman Job Krause.

Mr Pidgeon said the former councillors were also likely to seek compensation and he expected another legal case to be lodged.

“I am the first of the sacked councillors to take this action but it is likely there will be others,” he said.

“The PCCC is aware of my request and I am expecting to have a meeting to discuss getting that request on to the agenda.

“I want to tell my side of the story and inform the PCCC of the impact that this has had on me and how it destroyed my family.

“I am hoping that such a discussion would stop other people suffering the same fate in the future.”

CCC chairman Alan MacSporran.

The Crime and Corruption Commission’s Operation Front resulted in eight elected officials from Logan City Council charged with 14 serious criminal offences in 2019.

Prosecutions of fraud were discontinued by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions on April 14, 2021 in the Brisbane Magistrates Court.

Other charges against the former mayor remain before the court.