Property boss claims former Labor MP wanted to ‘cultivate’ him as Chinese community leader
The boss of an international property development firm has told an ICAC inquiry into a $100,000 donations scandal that a former Labor MP wanted to “cultivate” him to become a Chinese community leader.
NSW
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The Australian boss of a property development firm says former state Labor MP Ernest Wong arranged for him to have a security pass to access NSW parliament.
Wu International managing director Alex Wood — who was previously called Alex Wu — told the corruption watchdog Mr Wong wanted to “cultivate” him to become the “future leader of the Chinese community”.
He said he would visit Mr Wong “every week or every fortnight” at his parliament office where the pair would view “websites” so he could “understand more about the roles of the officials”.
Mr Wood told ICAC he couldn’t recall clearly when these meetings occurred but believed it was later than 2015.
Asked why Mr Wong wanted him to have access to parliament, Mr Wood said: “He wanted to cultivate or train me to become the leader of the Chinese community and he got me to view some of the new websites so I come to understand more about the roles of the officials which will help me with understanding the Australian community”.
Mr Wood said he knew Mr Wong was a government official at the time but was not aware he was a member of parliament.
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Counsel assisting Scott Robertson asked: “Are you seriously saying you didn’t know Mr Wong was a member of parliament? Is that your serious evidence?”
Mr Wood replied: “I’m saying in terms of 2015 I did not know what role he held in the parliament or whether or not he was a member — I just didn’t care at that time.”
Property developers have been banned from donating to NSW political parties since 2009.
Mr Wood said he did not believe he had ever donated to NSW Labor or Country Labor.
ICAC is investigating whether 12 “straw” or fake donors were used to cover up an illegal $100,000 donation from Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo, a banned donor, handed to Labor after a fundraiser on March 12, 2015.
Mr Wood was also told think carefully about his answer after he denied Mr Wong contacted him after the fundraiser on March 30 asking him to arrange for two people to sign forms falsely stating they had donated $5000 to Labor.
“I don’t think this happened so … I disagree,” he said.
Phone records tendered to the inquiry show Mr Wong called and texted Mr Wood multiple times that day.
Mr Wood claimed his phone was “broken” when Mr Wong contacted him on March 30.
He said he would have referred the matter to Dr Liao because he “wasn’t involved” in the Labor fundraiser, despite an email showing he was invited to attend.
“I really can’t recall what happened or what was said - if he (Wong) had asked me to sign anything, I must reiterate I haven’t personally attended that activity, I haven’t personally donated any money,” he said.
Dr Liao, one of the 12 donors, is listed as contributing $5000 towards Country Labor.
Investigators also presented an email from Mr Wong to Mr Wood’s colleague, Wu International deputy general manager Dr Leo Liao, from March 30 which had attached donation forms for the Chinese Friends of Labor fundraiser.
Mr Wong wrote: “Please fill two of these in”.
Dr Liao committed suicide before he could give evidence to investigators last year.
Chief commissioner Peter Hall warned Mr Wood he would be in “serious trouble” if he refused to co-operate with the inquiry.
Mr Wood was accused of “lying” to the inquiry after he denied knowing in 2015 that Mr Tong’s name had been used for a donation to Labor.
“You are lying to this commission because you knew Mr Tong’s name had been fraudulently used for donations - do you agree?” Mr Robertson asked.
Mr Wood replied: “To my recollection I have not seen with my own eyes what had happened, who donated money, when was the money donated, who signed on it… I have doubts towards the matter”.
Mr Wood also rejected that he told Mr Tong to keep quiet about his name being used for a $5000 donation to Labor he claims he never made.
“I do not recall having said such words,” he said.
Mr Wood also disagreed with an allegation that he told Mr Tong not to worry about problems with the donation because Wu International would “sort it out”.