Ex-Wagga MP Daryl Maguire charged over ‘cash for visas’ scam’, court hears

Daryl Maguire was excused from fronting court in person on Tuesday after the court heard flooding in the Riverina had affected his ability to travel to Sydney.

Ex-Wagga MP Daryl Maguire has been charged by Australian Border Force officials over his alleged involvement in the “cash-for-visas” scam that sparked an inquiry by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption and ultimately brought about the resignation of his one-time lover, former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal Maguire’s lawyer was served with a court attendance notice on November 7 ordering the former MP to front Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday on a charge of causing to be furnished false documents, and false or misleading information etc, relating to non-citizens, an offence under the Commonwealth Migration Act.

The offence is alleged to have occurred between January 2013 and August 2015, when Maguire was state MP for Wagga.

Court documents said it is alleged Maguire conspired with Maggie Logan (nee Wang) “to cause to be furnished for official purposes of the Commonwealth, documents in connection with applications for visas permitting non-citizens to remain in Australia, containing statements or information that was false of misleading in a material particular”.

Ms Logan was also charged over her alleged role in the scheme and faces 12 counts of causing the delivery of documents with false statements.

Daryl Maguire, pictured arriving at ICAC in 2021, has been charged by ABF officials. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Maguire did not attend court in person on Tuesday, instead appearing via video link from his home in Wagga after his lawyer, Jim Harrowell, said flooding in the region prevented Maguire from attending.

Magistrate Susan Horan imposed bail conditions on Maguire at the request of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

As part of the conditions, Maguire is banned from communicating with or attempting to communicate with several Wagga businessman and community leaders including John Cassegrain, the head of Cassegrain Wines and ex-Wagga council general manager Alan Eldridge.

Neither Mr Cassegrain or Mr Eldridge are accused of any wrongdoing and have not been charged.

The Australian Border Force, on Tuesday, told The Daily Telegraph they served Maguire with a court attendance notice on November 7, 2022.

“This follows an extensive investigation undertaken by the ABF associated with alleged visa and migration fraud, which also resulted in the arrest and charging of a female person of interest on 4 November 2022.

Mr Maguire was served a court attendance notice on November 7. Picture: Erik Anderson

“As these matters remain subject to legal proceedings, it would not be appropriate to comment further.”

The Independent Commission Against Corruption revealed Maguire was secretly dating then-Premier Gladys Berejiklian causing a seismic political scandal that ultimately ended Ms Berejiklian’s political career.

Mr Berejiklian is not accused of and has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

But the first few weeks of Operation Keppel were not focused on the relationship with Ms Berejiklian but on allegations Maguire had used his political office to make himself money.

The ICAC had alleged Maguire secretly controlled a business called G8way International alongside his friend and former campaign manager, Phil Elliott.

Mr Elliott, who was formally in charge of G8way, is not charged with any wrongdoing.

It is alleged Maguire identified businesses that may be willing to take on a Chinese national for a work visa in the regional electorate of Wagga Wagga.

Former premier Gladys Berejiklian wwas in a secret relationship with Mr Maguire, ICAC heard in 2021.

G8way’s immigration “specialist” was Maggie Wang, who is now known as Maggie Logan, the ICAC heard, and it was alleged she would organise for a worker or their family to pay tens of thousands of dollars for the placement.

It was further alleged that the workers would never show up, the ICAC heard, but Ms Logan would pay business owners $30,000 in cash to sign the immigration forms and lie to officials if they were asked.

Daryl Maguire leaves ICACin 2021. Picture: Brett Costello

The ICAC also heard it was alleged Logan would go to Parliament House, in Sydney, and hand Maguire thousands of dollars more if the business he had identified took on a worker.

Maguire allegedly would take the money back to Wagga and give it to Mr Elliott who would bank it as part of G8way’s finances.

The idea, the ICAC alleged, was that everyone would receive cash kickbacks for staying silent about the phantom workers.