Logan foursome have not lodged public submissions to Fitzgerald 2.0 inquiry

Four councillors, who claimed to have exposed alleged corruption in Logan, have not made public submissions to the Fitzgerald 2.0 inquiry into the state’s crime watchdog.

Four councillors, who tried to expose alleged corruption in Logan, have failed to make public submissions to the Fitzgerald 2.0 inquiry into the state’s crime watchdog.

Tony Fitzgerald handed down his report into the Crime and Corruption Commission on Tuesday.

The report and inquiry was triggered after eight Logan City councillors were charged with fraud and the council later dismissed before the fraud charges were dropped more than two years later.

Four councillors, who tried to expose alleged corruption in Logan, have not made public submissions to the Fitzgerald 2.0 inquiry into the state’s crime watchdog. Tony Fitzgerald handed down his report into the Crime and Corruption Commission on Tuesday. It included 87 submissions but no public submission from Logan councillors Lisa Bradley, Darren Power, Jon Raven or Laurie Koranski.

It included 87 submissions, as well as those from eight ex-Logan councillors who were charged with fraud and later exonerated.

The report made 32 recommendations and called for more checks and balances and oversight into CCC powers when charging people.

The report also called for CCC officers to liaise with the Department of Public Prosecutions prior to levelling any charges.

“If the DPP advises that a charge should not be brought, the seconded police officer must not charge contrary to that advice,” the report said.

It also called for a separation of policing powers with a greater role for civilians within the crime body.

Submissions did not include documents from four sitting Logan councillors — Mayor Darren Power, Lisa Bradley, Jon Raven and Laurie Koranski.

The four were not required to make submissions and all were contacted for this story.

Cr Koranski said she could not comment on why she had not made a public submission as “there were matters still before a court”.

The foursome made their names as vocal whistleblowers after stridently speaking out in 2018 when their eight former colleagues voted to sack the then council CEO Sharon Kelsey, who also did not make a submission.

Their claims formed part of a bitter four-year legal wrangle that only ended last month when Ms Kelsey’s final appeal bid failed and she was ordered to pay legal costs.

Ex Logan City councillors Trevina Schwarz and Phil Pidgeon said the Fitzgerald 2.0 inquiry needed to protect those who had been the subject of complaints that were later dropped.

The lack of submissions from the four prompted comments from ex-councillor Phil Pidgeon who is now fighting for compensation and had hoped the inquiry would set out rules to protect those accused by whistleblowers.

Mr Pidgeon and Ms Schwarz made a joint submission along with other former councillors Cherie Dalley, Steven Swenson, Russell Lutton, Laurie Smith and Jennifer Breene.

“I think that it is disgraceful that these self-appointed whistleblowers could not even be bothered to provide any public input into this inquiry,” Mr Pidgeon said.

“I think it is disgraceful and very telling that the four self-appointed whistleblowers who worked with the CCC previously have failed to provide any public statements to this inquiry.”