Disgraced MP Daryl Maguire’s China links rang alarm bells through the NSW Government
When Gladys Berejiklian’s ex-boyfriend was forced out of politics, his supposed links with China rang alarm bells at the top of the government.
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EXCLUSIVE
NSW Police Minister David Elliott was so concerned over the NSW Premier’s ex-boyfriend’s links with China and his access to secret counter-terrorism documents that he ordered a full audit after his departure from politics.
As former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire endured another marathon grilling at the corruption inquiry on Friday, news.com.au can reveal his links with Chinese business leaders rang alarm bells at the top of the Berejiklian Government.
Before Mr Maguire was forced out of politics over a land deal involving the Chinese-owned Country Gardens in 2018, the Liberal MP held the position of Parliamentary Secretary for Counter Terrorism, Corrections and Veterans.
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It’s the job he was forced to stand down from in July 2018 after the Independent Commission Against Corruption exposed him discussing commissions on a development in phone intercepts in a previous inquiry.
As a result of his forced resignation, NSW Government sources have confirmed the Police Minister ordered his access to sensitive documents to be audited.
But there’s no suggestion that anything was found that prompted further action or rang alarm bells.
This week, The Daily Telegraph reported concerns that Mr Maguire’s activities and his relationship with the NSW Premier would “absolutely” be of “significant interest” to Chinese intelligence agencies.
“The Chinese are across these things like no one else. All of Daryl’s information goes back into the nest,’’ a Liberal source said.
But Ms Berejiklian’s office hit back insisting that any claim of a hypothetical blackmail risk was “fanciful and offensive”.
Evidence tendered to the ICAC inquiry includes a photo of Ms Berejiklian and her ex-lover greeting China’s President Xi Jinping.
The NSW Premier was photographed standing behind Daryl Maguire as he shook hands with the Communist leader in November 2014.
At the time, he was already working to broker deals with Chinese companies including some where he hoped to earn commissions over property deals.
Mr Maguire stands accused of using his public office to improperly gain a benefit for himself or for his company G8way International.
During her evidence to ICAC on Monday, Ms Berejiklian insisted she had nothing to do with Mr Maguire getting photographed with the Communist leader.
“I have no recollection but ordinarily in those matters - and I can tell you now that I’m the premier - you are given advice where to stand and which order to do things so we would have been following the advice we were given,” she said.
Mr Maguire, who resigned from parliament in 2018 and recently divorced his long-estranged ex-wife Maureen, is accused of trying to use his position as an MP to gain money by brokering property deals.
Mr and Ms Maguire separated before he struck up a relationship with Ms Berejiklian.
Labor has accused Ms Berejiklian of turning a blind eye to corruption but the Premier has insisted that she was not aware of any wrongdoing and has refused to resign.
She was bombarded with questions from journalists at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon but maintained that she had done nothing wrong.
“I will not tolerate, never have, and never will, any improper conduct by any MP,” she said after being asked if she knew about any corruption.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has again swung his support behind the NSW Premier at a press conference in Sydney but also piled on the praise for her deputy and heir apparent.
“I’ve worked with the Premier for many, many years. Gladys Berejiklian is the Premier that New South Wales needs in these difficult times,’’ he said.
“She has been an extraordinary leader, particularly setting, I think, the right bar, the gold standard, as I’ve called it, when it comes to contact tracing and testing arrangements here, and outbreak containment.”
But Mr Morrison also decided to praise her deputy and heir apparent, NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet.
“Premier Berejiklian and she has very strong support, obviously, from the Deputy Premier and the many members of her team. The Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, Dominic Perrottet,’’ he said.
“They are a team just focused on keeping New South Wales safe when it comes to COVID-19 but also keeping New South Wales open.”
Originally published as Disgraced MP Daryl Maguire’s China links rang alarm bells through the NSW Government