Canada Bay mayor Angelo Tsirekas dismissed
The mayor of an inner west Sydney council has been dismissed and disqualified from civic office after an ICAC investigation into his relationship with a property developer.
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The former Canada Bay mayor has been dismissed and disqualified from civic office by the local government minister after he was found to be corrupt in respect of his relationship with a property developer.
NSW Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig had earlier suspended Canada Bay Mayor Angelo Tsirekas after he was found corrupt by ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) in relation to claims he gave a developer favourable treatment in exchange for luxe overseas trips.
On Wednesday, Mr Hoenig dismissed and disqualified Tsirekas from civic office for five years after considering ICAC’s report and forming the view he could no longer continue in office.
“To do so would have impacted upon the public confidence in the integrity of the council,” Mr Hoenig wrote in a statement.
“The immediate dismissal and disqualification of Mr Tsirekas is necessary to protect the public standing of the council, and local government generally.”
Mr Hoenig said existing processes would enable Canada Bay councillors to fill the now-vacant mayor position for the rest of the current term.
Deputy Mayor Joseph Cordaro took over as acting mayor when Tsirekas was initially suspended.
ICAC found Tsirekas “engaged in serious corrupt conduct” in relation to his relationship with I-Prosperity Group and its agent Joseph Chidiac – a friend of the mayor – between November 2015 and February 2019.
ICAC released a statement on the investigation’s grim findings.
“These benefits included overseas flights and accommodation, to the value of at least $18,800,” a statement from ICAC read.
According to the report, these benefits were used as an inducement for Mr Tsirekas in order to gain favour for I-Prosperity’s interests affecting properties in Rhodes that came before the council during periods when he was mayor.
ICAC said Tsirekas also engaged in “serious corrupt conduct” by failing to disclose the conflict of interest arising from representatives of both I-Prosperity and Chidiac.
ICAC found Tsirekas travelled overseas extensively – 24 trips between April 2015 and July 2019 – and in 2015 to 2016, he paid a deposit on a unit in Ashfield.
According to ICAC, one of these trips included a flight to China to attend the wedding of director of I-Prosperity Zhouxiang (Harry) Huang.
The trip included accommodation at The Langham hotel and a visit to Nanjing with Mr Chidiac and I-Prosperity employees, visits to a nightclub and other expenses which ICAC found to have been paid for by I-Prosperity.
During this time, I-Prosperity lodged its first planning proposal with the council for the Rhodes properties, and subsequently lodged three iterations of the proposal on May 31 2016, May 15 2018 and February 19 2019.
At all relevant times, Tsirekas was the mayor.
“On no occasion when the planning proposal came before the council did he declare a conflict of interest,” the statement read.
“Ultimately, the proposal was refused via a gateway determination (by the then Department of Planning, Industry and Environment under delegated authority from the minister) in March 2021.”
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