ICAC hears Gladys Berejiklian dined with Daryl Maguire and business partner

Secret couple Daryl Maguire and Premier Gladys Berejiklian socialised with the ex-MP’s business partner, ICAC heard, with the foursome enjoying a meal at a Wagga Wagga pub and private dinner party.

• Why ICAC outed Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s affair
• Samoan casinos and a $42m property: Maguire’s pension plan
• Pictures of pressure: Rivals circle Gladys

Disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire took Premier Gladys Berejiklian to dinner at both a Wagga Wagga pub and a private dinner party with the man who ran his shadow business company, ICAC has heard.

Details of the foursome enjoying dinner together emerged after ICAC investigators quizzed the wife of G8way International boss Phil Elliott about her knowledge of the company.

Mr Elliott has previously given evidence he deleted his company records at the request of Mr Maguire.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian leaves her home yesterday ahead of the second day of questioning of her former lover and former MP Daryl Maguire at ICAC. Picture: Jeremy Piper

It capped off a day in which Mr Maguire admitted bringing property developers around to casually “pop-in” to see the Premier in state parliament — bypassing strict diary disclosure rules — and instructed them on how to lobby for their projects, promising them he’d “CC” the Premier in on their requests.

He also said his secret relationship with Ms Berejikilan was “on again, off again”, and had started in 2015 and ended in “August or September some time”.

MORE NEWS

Alan Jones sues SBS, claiming ‘tribute’ was defamatory

Explosive emails reveal Biden family’s China ties

Folbigg’s new bid to overturn convictions for killing children

Asked if he was still in a close relationship with the Premier, Mr Maguire answered “not after the events of this I wouldn’t be, no”.

But the public hearing, which is looking into whether Mr Maguire abused his parliamentary access to receive kickbacks for property devel­opments, was closed to the public early in order to hear more private evidence.

Mr Mag­uire is accused of seeking payments for broking the sale of land owned by Louise Waterhouse, of the racing family, near Badgerys Creek.

Ms Waterhouse is not acc­used of wrongdoing.

Daryl Maguire arrives at ICAC on Thursday. Picture: Bianca De Marchi/NCA NewsWire

Counsel assisting Scott Robertson said ICAC had revealed the secretive relationship between the Premier and Mr Maguire because “it’s required not just to investigate corruption” but “conduct connected with alleged corrupt conduct”.

Before the hearing was closed, Mr Maguire was asked about bringing his property developer friend Joe Alha into Ms Berejiklian’s office at state parliament after having several glasses of red wine in 2017.

“As the night wore on Joe became a little insistent we pop in and say hello to Glad,” Mr Maguire said. He said the meeting only lasted two minutes.

Developer Joe Alha, who wanted to meet the Premier.

He also was secretly recorded telling Mr Alha to write to the planning minister and “CC the premier”.

“Joseph, write the letters tomorrow, pour your heart out. You cc the boss and you send it to Roberts,” Mr Maguire said in the conversation.

Mr Alha asked how he would get the Premier’s email address and Mr Maguire said he would “fix it”.

Late on Thursday afternoon, documents were released by ICAC of multiple interviews conducted by investigators, including one with Karen Barbey, the partner of Mr ­Elliott, the G8way International director.

She spoke with ICAC investigators at Wagga Wagga Police station on July 9 last year.

She said she had known Mr Maguire as a both friend and through her partner Mr Elli­ott, and often enjoyed “quite a bit” of red wine with the former MP, who stayed at their house for barbecues.

Ms Barbey recalled meeting Ms Berejiklian through Mr Maguire on multiple occasions.

“I have met her at Daryl’s place,” she said, during her ­interview at the police station. “We had dinner at night as well and I’m trying to think. And we went to Romano’s for dinner one night.”

Romano’s is a pub restaurant in town.

“Yes so there was four of us, yes, yeah,” she said.

“You, Phil, Daryl, Gladys Berejiklian and that was at Romano’s?” the officer asked.

“Yeah.”

She also said they had dinner at Daryl’s house. The officer asked “just the four of you as well?” to which Ms Barbey replied: “There were some other security, you know, people, yeah.”

“Police officers that protect the Premier?” “Yes.”

Labor leader Jodi McKay accused the Premier of being Mr Maguire’s “sounding board for corruption” in a fiery question time.

Ms Berejiklian dared Ms McKay to “say it outside” the parliament.