Luke Smith corruption hearing: Darren Power cross-examined

The current Logan mayor has taken the stand in court as his former boss watched on, while the re-emergence of tapes may change the trial.

The current mayor of Logan City Council has been cross-examined at the committal hearing of his immediate past predecessor Luke Smith, who is charged with perjury, official corruption and failing to correct his register of interests.

Meanwhile, the sudden emergence of recordings of conversations between Division 1 Councillor Lisa Bradley and former council chief executive Todd Rohl, which were disclosed last Friday, has meant she will now be called to the stand to be cross-examined.

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Mr Rohl, who was cross-examined in January, may also be recalled for re-examination, Beenleigh Magistrates Court heard on Tuesday.

It comes the day after Mr Smith and seven other former councillors appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on charges of fraud relating to the February 2018 sacking of former chief executive Sharon Kelsey.

Mr Smith, who was elected in 2016 and dismissed alongside seven other councillors in May 2019, is accused of corruptly receiving a luxury powerboat from a Chinese developer, SKL Cables, which wanted to build a 15-storey hotel at 22 Carol Ave, Springwood, five storeys higher than allowed under the planning scheme.

Ex-Logan mayor Luke Smith arrives at Beenleigh Magistrates Court in Brisbane, Friday, January 24, 2020. A former Queensland mayor accused of perjury and official corruption will face a second day of his committal hearing. (AAP Image/Glenn Hunt)

SKL Cables made a substantial donation to Mr Smith’s 2016 election campaign.

Part of the Crown’s case against Mr Smith is the allegation he established the so-called ‘Springwood Summit’, held on October 21, 2016, in order to relax planning restrictions in Springwood.

While Mr Smith ran on a pro-development ticket and made no secret of his desire to see a “second CBD” in the northern Logan suburb, the Crown claims his personal enrichment from the SKL deal was the ulterior motive.

Tuesday’s questioning centred on this summit and the document produced from it, ‘PD1’, which recommended certain changes to the Springwood Local Plan.

Current mayor Darren Power, the first of three witnesses to be called, was pressed on whether it was in fact former councillor Russell Lutton who was the driving force behind the summit.

“I heard through council it was Smith who was pushing the idea,” Cr Power said.

“It could have been both (Smith and Lutton), I certainly heard around the campaign trail it was Smith mooting it around.

“I thought it was an avenue for him to gain financial support for his election.”

Logan City Mayor Darren Power. Picture: File

Defence counsel Jeffrey Hunter QC asked why Cr Power was opposed to the Springwood Summit.

“You were concerned about idea of changes to Springwood planning scheme as you thought it may favour developers?” he asked.

“You were concerned about developers getting into bed with councillors?”

“Yes,” Cr Power answered to both.

Cr Power did concede under examination that neither Mr Smith nor Mr Lutton’s vote was required in the 12-person chamber to pass the motion supporting PD1 and the changes contained within.

Earlier in the hearing, Mr Hunter expressed the defence’s frustrations at “intermittent deluges” of material being disclosed by the Crown, culminating in Friday’s release of taped conversations between Cr Bradley and Mr Rohl.

Cr Lisa Bradley poses for a photograph, Thursday, September 27, 2018. She is pictured with the Labyrinth Maze at Underwood Park (AAP Image/Richard Walker)

Mr Hunter told the court the defence requested these back in February, only to be told they could not be located and thus disclosed.

However, according to the Crown, the reason the recordings, which were in possession of the Crime and Corruption Commission, were not disclosed until now is because the CCC had overlooked the request for the tapes.

The hearing continues on May 26 next year after the first three days were held in late January this year.