Accountant Kenny Zhan denies giving false information to the ICAC to protect developer boss
A Chinese accountant who discovered the suicide note of an ICAC witness has denied giving false information to the corruption body to protect his property developer boss.
NSW
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A Chinese accountant who discovered the suicide note of an ICAC witness has denied giving false information to the corruption body to protect his property developer boss.
Chatswood-based Wu International accountant Kenny Zhan — who is also a cousin of company boss Alex Wood — was grilled about his role in speaking to an ICAC witness and alleged victim of an ALP “straw donor” racket.
ICAC has already heard another employee of the firm — Dr Leo Liao — killed himself just hours before he was due to give evidence to ICAC investigators on June 25 last year.
And a fourth Wu International employee, Steve Tong, give evidence last week he was fearful and pressured by his bosses to sign a false electoral form.
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On the night Dr Liao, 69, killed himself last year, his colleague Mr Zhan informed police and the man’s wife said he was missing.
Mr Zhan found the suicide notes mentioning ICAC.
Police records also state Mr Zhan later accessed Dr Liao’s computer and showed officers the dead man’s internet search history.
On Wednesday in the witness box Mr Zhan said he couldn’t remember details of the 19 November 2018 conversation his boss had with their former workmate Mr Tong, despite chauffeuring him out to Mr Tong’s Pennant Hills home.
Previously Mr Tong has said he was scared his company bosses would “hire a scoundrel” to take revenge on him if he didn’t go along with the phony donation.
The corruption hearing was told this meeting was the same day ICAC served a summons on Mr Tong.
Phone records show Mr Zhan rang Mr Tong a dozen times within three days of that meeting, but in the witness box Mr Zhan said the calls were to exchange “festive greetings” and he was unaware of the summons.
“I didn’t pay attention to what they were talking about,” Mr Zhan said. “Basically I played with my phone.”
ICAC Commissioner Peter Hall later asked him:
“You are making this up, aren’t you?
“In other words you are lying aren’t you?”
“You could just pick up the phone and give him the greetings, couldn’t you?
“You are trying to protect Alex Wood, aren’t you and you are therefore giving untruthful evidence in order to make sure he is protected, correct?”
Mr Zhan replied: “I am recalling what is true to my recollection. The rest I have forgotten already.”
Earlier, ICAC heard from former ALP MP Ernest Wong’s assistant Winnie Huang that she didn’t see or handle any cash at the infamous 2015 ALP Chinese fundraising dinner.
She worked on reception at the function and said most guests pre-filled the registration forms with their credit cards.
“For my part I did not see any person pay in cash in the reception,” she said.
But her boss Mr Wong has given evidence that a “significant” amount of tens of thousands of dollars” of cash was taken home on the night by exiled Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo.
The hearing continues with axed ALP Party boss Kaila Murnain returning to the stand on on Thursday.