Leslie Reynolds pleads guilty to corruption after ICAC probe

A former Department of Justice project manager accused by ICAC of corruption over the supply of gym equipment to NSW and QLD jails has now faced court, five years on.

Ex-Department of Justice official Leslie Reynolds (left) has pleaded guilty to a corruption charge over allocating a gym equipment supplier for NSW jails.

A former Department of Justice official has admitted corruptly obtaining a financial benefit arising from his allocation of a gym equipment supplier to NSW and QLD jails, a court has heard.

In 2017, the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption found Leslie Reynolds, 52, engaged in “serious corrupt conduct” by recommending that Corrective Services NSW work be allocated to Global Metal Works.

The work in question was the supply of gym equipment to CSNSW and Queensland Corrective Services.

At the time ICAC made a finding that Reynolds saved tens of thousands of dollars on a swimming pool installation at his home in exchange for using his position to recommend CSNSW’s work be allocated to Global Metal Works.

“Mr Reynolds did not disclose to CSNSW management that he had engaged an approved CSNSW supplier to complete work at his house,” the written ICAC judgment stated at the time.

In 2021 Reynolds was ultimately charged with corruptly soliciting a benefit as an agent in relation to ICAC’s findings.

Khader Ghamrawi – the proprietor of Global Metal Works – has also been charged with corruptly giving, or offering to give an agent a benefit.

Both were listed before Magistrate Clare Farnan at Downing Centre Local Court on October 20, where Reynolds pleaded guilty to the offence.

The Wattle Grove man’smatter has now been committed to Sydney District Court for a disputed facts hearing and a sentence.

Ghamrawi is yet to enter a plea and his matter was adjourned to October 27 for a further mention.

Court documents tendered to Downing Centre Local Court indicate these matters occurred between July 2016 and October 2016.

It will be alleged Reynolds’ benefit was 50 per cent of the profit from selling gym equipment to Corrective Services NSW, having shown favour to Global Metal Works.

Reynolds will dispute some of the allegations set out in the district court before he is sentenced.