Liberal MP John Sidoti ICAC reopens with businessman‘s ’Starbucks stat dec’

The corruption watchdog has reopened at the request of NSW Liberal MP John Sidoti so he can provide new evidence.

Investigated NSW MP John Sidoti’s relative asked a businessman to sign a pre-written statement so the Liberal politician could reopen the corruption inquiry into his family.

Mr Sidoti is being investigated by the Independent Commission Against Corruption over alleged connections with his parents’ property and superannuation “schemes” around his electorate of Drummoyne.

The MP steadfastly denies claims aired by the ICAC that he leant on local councillors to include his parents’ function centre in plans to redevelop the suburb.

He further denies using his position as a state MP to have Liberal preselectors overlook uncooperative councillors - ultimately ousting the mayor of Canada Bay Council.

The inquiry completed its public hearings in April but reopened this week at Mr Sidoti’s request so his lawyers could supply additional evidence.

John Sidoti arrives at his hearing at the ICAC in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

That evidence, on Wednesday, came from Five Dock businessman Glen Haron.

Mr Sidoti had told the ICAC he bumped into Mr Haron during the April hearings and they spoke about the evidence at the inquiry.

Mr Sidoti said Mr Haron reminded him of a meeting the politician set up between councillors and business people years earlier as tensions rose around the plans for the suburb.

“(Mr Haron) saw what answers I gave (to the ICAC), that I didn’t recall the meeting that took place and he basically said, ‘Are you silly or something? Have you lost your memory? You organised the meeting for us’,” Mr Sidoti said in April.

Mr Haron, on Wednesday, recounted the wide ranging discussion with the MP near one of the bays near Five Dock.

He couldn’t recall who actually brought up the forgotten meeting but said Mr Sidoti sent his solicitors to organise a statement.

Mr Haron told the ICAC he then met Mr Sidoti’s brother-in-law, David Andersen, at a Haymarket Starbucks at about the time the April hearings were finishing.

John Sidoti will give evidence at the inquiry on Thursday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

Mr Andersen was carrying a prewritten statutory declaration and a transcript of Mr Sidoti’s evidence to the inquiry, the businessman said.

The businessman said some parts of the statutory declaration, which he signed, were inaccurate such as who sent invites to counsellors.

But Mr Haron stood by the majority of the statement.

At the ICAC hearing, earlier this year, doubts were raised about Mr Sidoti’s retelling of the bayside conversation with Mr Haron which he said happened “weeks” earlier.

Counsel Assisting the Commission Robert Rankin, in April, said the conversation with Mr Haron was “false evidence” because Mr Sidoti had only taken the stand a week earlier.

“It just cannot be possible that Mr Haron, having heard your evidence in the first two weeks of the hearing… reminded you that in fact that you had (attended the meeting),” he said.

Mr Sidoti insisted the conversation had taken place.

Mr Sidoti is expected to front the inquiry tomorrow along with a relative.