Angelo Tsirekas, Operation Tolosa: Canada Bay mayor fronts ICAC hearing, denies all wrongdoing

Canada Bay’s embattled mayor fronted the ICAC hearing looking into allegations of his own misconduct as he denied all wrongdoing in relation to his dealings with iProsperity group.

The embattled mayor of the City of Canada Bay Council has fronted the ICAC hearing looking into allegations of his own corruption and misconduct as proceedings move into their fifth week.

Angelo Tsirekas, the 20-year serving mayor of Canada Bay, has continued to deny any wrongdoing in the allegations he partially exercised his official functions to favour the interests of developers in relation to planning matters, and deliberately failed to declare or properly manage any conflict of interest arising from these relationships.

On a revelatory day, it was alleged Mr Tsirekas wrote a glowing reference for a relative of an iProsperity executive for private school admission, gave almost $50,000 in cash deposits to a bank account through an intermediary, and forwarded internal council draft motions to an iProsperity town planner, among other things.

Earlier in the hearing it was alleged Mr Tsirekas went on an overseas trip with – and funded by – executives from the now collapsed iProsperity investment group, who sought to build a 127-metre tower in Rhodes.

In January 2016, the mayor visited Shanghai with Joseph Chidiac, who the inquiry previously heard iProsperity had in 2015 engaged the services of to provide advice on planning applications.

The inquiry heard iProsperity allegedly footed a large portion of the expenses of the trip and the mayor went to the wedding banquet of their then-executive Harry Huang, accompanied by a handful of other executives.

“I had no idea, no idea at all, that they had a relationship with iProsperity,” Mr Tsirekas told ICAC.

“I didn’t know what they did or their positions, I really didn’t know.

“It was just a private trip.”

iProsperity Group director, Xialou (Belinda) Li and Canada Bay Mayor Angelo Tsirekas in China. Picture: ICAC

ICAC’s counsel Jamie Darams said the mayor was either “naive or lying, and what you have said (about not knowing) is incorrect”.

The major denied knowing the position of another iProsperity high-ranking employee and rejected the assertion he had been to their house or knew their family.

The inquiry produced a reference, however, that was written by Mr Tsirekas for a relative of that employee to help gain admission to a private school, in which the mayor waxed lyrical about their character and intellect.

It was also revealed in May 2016 Mr Tsirekas forwarded an internally circulated draft notice of motion that would have progressed plans by developer Billbergia for a site next to iProsperity’s land to town planner David Furlong with the message “FYI” (for your information). Mr Furlong was the town planner for iProsperity at the time.

Mr Furlong responded with an amended motion that sought iProsperity’s tower proposal to be included in a council investigation of the planning merits of an uplift in floor space at the site, which was eventually passed by council with the mayor’s support.

Artist‘s impressions for the Rhodes Place Precinct Strategy, which is at the centre of an ICAC probe looking into Canada Bay mayor Angelo Tsirekas.

The mayor said the move was “in the interests of transparency”.

Mr Darams said Mr Tsirekas failed to disclose a conflict of interest at that time, or divest from that interest, allegedly because the mayor realised the impact stepping away from a position of influence would have on his friend Mr Chidiac’s relationship with iProsperity.

“I also suggest you didn’t declare your conflict of interest because you understood the impact it would have on your benefits from iProsperity in the future, if you no longer had a say on the matter,” Mr Darams said.

The circumstances and intention around $45,000 cash deposits by Mr Tsirekas through an intermediary across a year were also the subject of today’s hearing.

Mr Tsirekas claimed the cash deposits to Francesco Colacicco into a bank account titled Machonic were from his father, who was trying to help him financially during this period. However, Mr Colacicco – who was previously called in as a witness – alleged he never knew the reason behind the cash drops.

“Mr Colacicco said words to the effect that he didn’t know the backstory and didn’t want to know, that he suspected it could be something sinister,” ICAC chief commissioner the Hon Peter Hall Qr said.

Mayor Tsirekas remains on leave from his position on the council as the hearing continues to probe the allegations of misconduct.