City of Canada Bay councillors vote down motion to oust ‘corrupt’ mayor at fiery public meeting

A Sydney council meeting has descended into chaos after a motion calling on the “corrupt” mayor to resign was voted down.

A Sydney council meeting has descended into chaos after a motion calling on the “corrupt” mayor to resign was voted down, with one member of the public ejected after accusing a councillor of “sleeping with the mayor”.

Long-running City of Canada Bay mayor Angelo Tsirekas was suspended last month after the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) found he had engaged in corrupt conduct, including accepting lavish holidays from property developer I-Prosperity Group and its agent Joseph Chidiac, a friend of Mr Tsirekas, in exchange for favourable planning decisions dating back to 2012.

ICAC found Mr Tsirekas received “overseas flights and accommodation to the value of at least $18,800” from the developer and Mr Chidiac between 2015 and 2019.

Mr Tsirekas was suspended by NSW Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig, who is still weighing the decision on whether to use his power to sack him.

The mayor, who entered council in 1995 and was first elected mayor in 2002, does not intend to quit.

His lawyers will lodge a review of the ICAC findings in the Supreme Court this week.

Angelo Tsirekas with iProsperity Group director Xialou ‘Belinda’ Li in China. Picture: ICAC

On Tuesday night, the council voted down a motion calling on Mr Tsirekas to resign by 5-3, sparking jeers and insults from members of the public — one of whom was ejected for making offensive comments — as councillors hurled accusations of a cover-up at each other.

Councillors from the Liberal Party and Our Local Community joined to vote down the motion.

Councillor Andrew Ferguson had moved that Mr Tsirekas “put the interests of council, council staff, ratepayers and the community first and resign from office”.

“I think that’s a reasonable position to adopt,” he said.

“We’re not asking Tsirekas to admit guilt, we’re simply asking him to resign from office, to either stand down or to resign from office, in view of the findings of the ICAC inquiry. Many of us here have read the transcript, observed the proceedings, the inconsistency, the implausibility of responses, the overwhelming evidence, and yet at the end of the inquiry Tsirekas came back to office on the payroll of ratepayers when he should have stood down.”

Cr Ferguson described it as a “scandal”. “That should never have occurred,” he said.

“Since then we’ve had the [ICAC] report come down, and we’re still in that position where there’s paralysis in this council. There has been an extraordinary loss of trust in the council. Enough’s enough.”

The City of Canada Bay council meeting on Tuesday night. Picture: Facebook

Cr Ferguson added that “blind Freddie knew there was a problem [with Mr Tsirekas] but there was silence and there was acquiescence and many people didn’t step up, and the problem continued for far longer than it should have”.

“People knew about these problems in the community,” he said.

“Now is the opportunity to provide some leadership and to step up, not to buck pass to a Minister to take responsibility.”

Councillor Charles Jago said that while Mr Tsirekas had done “a lot of good things” in 20 years as mayor “we are in the trust business, and with the findings of ICAC it’s time to call time”.

Councillor Anthony Bazouni raised concerns about the behaviour of ICAC, referencing the case of Sydney businessman Charif Kazal, who was labelled corrupt in 2011 but never criminally charged.

Last month, the United Nations Human Rights Committee ruled the corruption probe had violated Mr Kazal’s human rights.

“Charif Kazal, through his human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson KC, has recently persuaded the UN Human Rights Committee that certain procedures at ICAC violate international human rights,” Cr Bazouni said.

The comment sparked uproar and laughter from the public gallery.

Surveillance images taken by ICAC of Angelo Tsirekas having lunch with developers. Picture: ICAC

Councillor Michael Megna, who opposed the vote, instead moved an amendment. He argued Cr Ferguson’s motion did not follow the correct process.

“Council has no legislative mechanism to suspend or dismiss an elected mayor or councillor,” he told the meeting.

Cr Megna’s amended motion, which was ultimately successful, instead stated that council would write to Mr Hoenig urging him to expedite his decision on Mr Tsirekas, if it had not been made by Friday December 9.

“We’re not buck-passing to the Minister, the Minister’s the one responsible to make the decision — I’m not sticking up for Angelo Tsirekas,” he said, sparking more laughter from the public.

Deputy mayor Joseph Cordaro had to warn the gallery, which included a number of Labor Party members who had attended to support the motion, to stop yelling interjections on multiple occasions during the debate.

“If there is another interruption from the gallery I’ll adjourn the meeting, I’m putting you on notice,” he said.

After one interjection Cr Megna erupted in fury.

“These people, some of them should know better,” he said. “Some of them have been in parliament. I took umbrage to the man over there who said I was sleeping with the mayor. I mean, really. Were you peeping through the keyhole?”

Cr Cordaro ordered the man to leave the meeting.

“All we’re doing is asking the mayor to resign,” one member of the public said.

“Thank you, sir, we’ve got the message,” Cr Cordaro said.

The Local Government Minister last month gave Mr Tsirekas 14 days to show cause as to why he should not be removed from office.

A spokeswoman for Mr Hoenig told news.com.au the Minister had accepted a request from Mr Tsirekas’ legal counsel for an extension of time until December 8.

“A decision will be made after then,” she said.

In a statement last month, Mr Hoenig said he had reviewed the report and ICAC’s recommendation that Mr Tsirekas be removed from civic office.

“Should Cr Tsirekas be dismissed from his civic office, there are processes in place that would enable City of Canada Bay councillors to fill the position of mayor for the remainder of the current term of council,” he said.

“The prosecution or otherwise of Cr Tsirekas and other people named in the report is a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions.”

ICAC said last month it would seek the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on whether any prosecution should be commenced.

“The Commission is of the opinion that consideration should be given to obtaining the advice of the DPP about the prosecution of Mr Tsirekas, Mr Chidiac and Joseph Jacob for various offences,” ICAC said.

No charges have been laid.

Originally published as City of Canada Bay councillors vote down motion to oust ‘corrupt’ mayor at fiery public meeting