Liverpool Council inquiry: Council has more than 100 code of conduct complaints

A southwest Sydney council has been swamped with scores of code of conduct complaints that has cost it more than $200,000. Here’s the latest from the Liverpool Council public inquiry.

Former Liverpool Council chief executive John Ajaka.

Liverpool Council has been swamped with code of conduct complaints that has cost it more than $200,000, an inquiry into its dysfunction and maladministration has heard.

The council’s corporate services director Farooq Portelli continued to give evidence at the Office of Local Government’s inquiry into the council on Monday when counsel assisting the inquiry, Trish McDonald, asked about the complaints process.

Mr Portelli said it was costly and time consuming. He said last year there was only five complaints.

“Under those circumstances it’s probably not an issue,’’ he said.

“Unfortunately this year it’s well over 100. It’s growing continually. The CEO has written to the Office of Local Government to assist in this process.’’

Farooq Portelli.

John Ajaka wanted Mr Portelli to find a spare $25m, an inquiry has heard. Picture: Adam Yip

He said the OLG had initially declined to assist and the council was left with the “burden”.

Code of conduct complaints allege conduct on the part of a council official or councillor.

Mr Portelli said the number of complaints could usually be counted on one hand.

“The number we’ve got this year is extraordinary. It just doesn’t happen,” he said.

When Commissioner Ross Glover asked how much it cost the council to pay an external reviewer to handle the complaints, Mr Portelli said “upwards of $200,000” as of June.

The inquiry also heard how the council’s former chief executive John Ajaka asked Mr Portelli to use “creative accounting” to find $25m in March last year.

It prompted a tongue-in-check response from Mr Portelli who said “that’s not happening”.

“He’s told me to find the money and as I was walking out I sarcastically remarked ‘I’ll look under my pillow tonight’,” he told the inquiry.

“I wasn’t happy, I was angry, and so was he.’’

Mr Portelli said during that meeting Mr Ajaka told him to “do what the other two did”.

He said he understood that to mean two other people who had inflated revenues which they could not substantiate nor justify.

The inquiry heard Mr Portelli inferred that was what Mr Ajaka meant because when he rejoined the council in January 2023, he was with the chief financial officer reviewing the budget and $3m of unexplained revenue was identified.

“Well what efficiencies – how are you going to get that money?’’ Mr Portelli, a qualified accountant, said.

“So there were these efficiency saving factored into the budget that I couldn’t keep in there because I couldn’t rely on.’’

Mr Ajaka is due to give evidence this week as the inquiry continues.