Terry Bilal: Liverpool council worker has dropped kidnapping charge brought up in NSW parliament

A southwest Sydney council has admitted it does not undertake criminal background checks for new hires after revelations a senior employee had been previously charged with kidnapping and robbery.

A Sydney council has admitted it does not undertake criminal background checks for new hires after revelations a senior employee had been previously charged with kidnapping and robbery were raised in NSW parliament.

Liverpool Labor MP Paul Lynch recently put a series of questions with notice to the Local Government Minister about the hiring practices of Liverpool Council.

One of the questions was: Is the Minister aware of the employment in a comparatively senior position at Liverpool Council of a person charged in 2009 with kidnapping and robbery and whose brother was a Sergeant-at-arms of the ACT Rebels bikie gang?

The question was in relation to Terry Bilal, who in June was acting as the council’s manager of civil works. The charges laid in 2009 were later dropped.

A Liverpool Council spokeswoman said potential employees were not obliged to inform the council of unfounded allegations.

Liverpool Council offices Moore Street, Liverpool. Picture: AAP/Matthew Vasilescu

“There is no conviction recorded against the staff member, however council was aware that (post the 2009) incident, the staff member performed in a senior role in another organisation and received top-level security clearance from the Australian Department of Defence,” the spokeswoman said.

“Council does not perform criminal background checks on its potential employees but is developing a policy in this regard.”

The Local Government Minister is expected to respond to Mr Lynch’s question by October 18.