Former NSW Labor boss Jamie Clements wants to become a criminal defence lawyer after ICAC
Former NSW Labor boss Jamie Clements wants to pursue a career as a criminal defence lawyer, saying he was “absolutely inspired” by the legal team who represented him at the ICAC.
NSW
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Ex-Labor boss Jamie Clements wants to reinvent himself as a criminal defence lawyer, saying he was “absolutely inspired” by the legal team who represented him at the ICAC.
Mr Clements, the director of a legal advisory firm that helps China-based companies navigate the Australian business environment, said he wanted to make a fresh start after ICAC finishes its inquiry into a donations scandal.
“I don’t want to do the China consulting stuff anymore,” he told The Daily Telegraph. “I’m pretty much finished with that after all this and I feel like well this is maybe my opportunity to make a new start and do what I always wanted to do, and that’s to defend people.”
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Mr Clements has been giving evidence to ICAC which is investigating allegations a $100,000 cash donation to the party from Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo was disguised using a scheme of fake donors.
The inquiry has heard Mr Huang delivered the cash in an ALDI bag to Mr Clements, then Labor general secretary, shortly after a Chinese Friends of Labor fundraiser in March 2015.
Mr Huang — who was banned from donating as a property developer — has denied donating the money and Mr Clements has insisted he never received the cash.
However, he did work as a consultant for Mr Huang for three years under a retainer worth more than $600,000 and paid no rent at an office owned by the property developer’s Yuhu Group.
Mr Clements last night said he was “inspired” by his lawyers, Stephen Lawrence and Felicity Graham from Black Chambers, who acted for legal aid rates under the ICAC witness assistance scheme.
He previously asked NSW Labor to pay for his legal fees but the request was knocked back.
“The fact they were willing to step in to help me … I just feel like I want to be able to do that for people,” Mr Clements said.
Mr Clements is qualified as a lawyer but does not currently hold a practising certificate.
But according to his website Middle Kingdom Link Australia, he “offers both legal and non legal services”.
Mr Clements said he’d asked for the website to be taken down in August after he decided not to renew his practising certificate
He said he was unaware it had not been taken offline.
“I’m not trying to mislead anyone and I don’t want to get in trouble with the Law Society,” he said.
The website was shut down last night following questions from The Daily Telegraph.
Mr Clements said he has cut all ties to Mr Huang and Yuhu Group since April this year.
ICAC has adjourned until early December after weeks of stunning evidence into an alleged straw donors scheme.