ICAC: City of Canada Bay Mayor Angelo Tsirekas ‘accepted rewards’ for development approval
Directors of a liquidated Chinese development firm worked to convince investors that they had a Sydney mayor “on side” in a series of private meetings, ICAC has heard. Rolling coverage here.
Chinese property developers actively plotted to ‘lobby’ and reward a Sydney mayor for support in a multimillion-dollar development application for a series of high-rise residential towers, a NSW Corruption inquiry has heard.
The first two days of ICAC’s hearings into allegations of corrupt conduct by City of Canada Bay Mayor Angelo Tsirekas saw former iProsperity Group director, Xialou (Belinda) Li forced to give evidence before ICAC chief commissioner Peter Hall and Operation Tosola.
The ICAC’s four-week hearing is probing allegations that long serving City of Canada Bay Mayor Angelo Tsirekas “partially exercised his official functions” to favour the interests of Billbergia Pty Ltd, Prolet Pty Ltd and contractor Joseph Chidiac, in relation to planning matters, and “deliberately failed to declare or properly manage any conflict of interest arising from his relationships”.
Ms Li, who resigned from iProsperity following its plunge into liquidation, is now the director of a new development company Forte Group.
She was forced to return to ICAC for a third day of questioning, as a series of encrypted WeChat messages between her and her co-directors at iProsperity revealed they plotted to bring Mr Chidiac and Cr Tsirekas to China for a “grand” wedding.
ICAC will also investigate allegations that, since 2015, cr Tsirekas has partially exercised his official functions to favour the interests of Frank Bruzzano in relation to the development application for 168-172 Victoria Road, Drummoyne, and deliberately failed to declare or properly manage any conflict of interest arising from his relationship with Mr Bruzzano.
Meanwhile, it is also alleged that, since 2015, Councillor Tsirekas sought, and/or accepted benefits, as an inducement or reward for partially and dishonestly exercising his official functions to favour the interests of I-Prosperity Group and Mr Chidiac, in relation to planning matters affecting 1-9 Marquet Street and 4 Mary Street, Rhodes.
This month, ICAC also announced a further allegation that, between May 2015 and January 2018, former City of Canada Bay general manager, Gary Sawyer, partially and dishonestly exercised his official functions and failed to disclose the nature of his relationship with Mr Colacicco, in relation to the sale of Council property at 231 Victoria Road, Drummoyne, and the associated development application.
SEE OUR ROLLING COVERAGE FROM ICAC HERE
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