Gladys Berejiklian’s legal team hits out at ICAC 2-month extension

ICAC’s decision to give the lawyer running its probe into Gladys Berejiklian an extra two months to prepare his submissions has infuriated the former premier’s legal team.

ICAC’s decision to give the lawyer running its probe into Gladys Berejiklian an extra two months to prepare his submissions has infuriated the former premier’s legal team.

In a decision labelled “not ­acceptable” by sources close to Ms Berejiklian, a day before counsel assisting ICAC, Scott Robertson, was supposed to hand in his ­submissions to the anti-corrup­tion body, he was without explanation given a two-month extension.

The decision was leaked and reported as a victory for the former premier, as her legal team will have longer to respond to whatever he alleges against her.

Former Premier Gladys Berejiklian addresses the media outside ICAC. Picture: Gaye Gerard

But the attempt to spin the move as a win for Ms Berejiklian has infuriated her legal team, which has been given no explanation for the sudden delay.

The delay in putting the allegations against her means they can’t start trying to clear her name because they have no idea what Mr Robertson plans to accuse her of.

ICAC held 11 days of hearings in October into grants approved by Ms Berejiklian as Treasurer that went to the Australian Clay Target Association and the Riverina Conservatorium of Music in the Wagga Wagga electorate of her then-boyfriend MP Daryl Maguire.

They were held more than a year after ICAC’s first look at the grants and covered similar ground.

Ms Berejiklian resigned immediately in October at the height of the NSW Delta outbreak when ICAC announced the hearings.

A source close to Ms Berejiklian said the fact Mr Robertson has said he needed another two months for his submissions raised questions about why ICAC rushed to hold the inquiry.

Council Assisting the ICAC Scott Robertson. Picture: Nikki Short

“ICAC suggested when it announced this inquiry that it could wait for nothing and no one during the Delta outbreak, it gave the premier no option but to resign because of her strong views on maintaining the integrity of the office of premier pending allegations being investigated,” the source said

“It is clear that ICAC are not ready to finish the process that they started.”

The source said it was apparent during the hearing “that the lawyers acting for ICAC had difficulties understanding how government projects are funded”.

“What is disappointing is that they have failed to comply with the directions that were made to serve their submissions when they were supposed to so that the former premier’s legal team could respond to ensure that ICAC delivered its report in a timely manner. This conduct is not acceptable.”

Earlier this month Ms Berejiklian ruled out a run at the federal seat of Warringah which had been urged upon her by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

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