Flashback: Leading developers called to give evidence in council inquiry in 2005

The Gold Coast’s most prominent developers were served papers by the Crime and Misconduct Commission as the investigation into the conduct of the city council scaled new heights.

Sunland joint managing director Soheil Abedian at the Crime and Misconduct Commission public hearing into the Gold Coast City Council held at the CMC in Brisbane. Picture: Jodie Richter

GOLD COAST BULLETIN , Saturday August 20, 2005

THE Gold Coast’s most prominent developers, including Soheil Abedian, were served papers by the Crime and Misconduct Commission as the investigation into the conduct of the city council scaled new heights.

Mr Abedian confirmed he had received a notice from the CMC requesting information about his donations to the controversial Lionel Barden Trust Fund.

“We will put our response in so the CMC will know how the whole thing came about,” said Mr Abedian, joint managing director of the Sunland Group.

Gold Coast Bulletin, Saturday August 20, 2005

“I am really happy that the CMC are going to look into these matters so they can be solved once and for all.”

The Bulletin understood all other trust fund contributors were also served papers by the CMC.

The Bulletin had previously revealed the CMC had demanded details of election campaign finances, and links to developers, from council bloc members and failed candidates who were bankrolled by the trust fund.

The latest revelation came as the pressure to call a public inquiry was placed back on Local Government Minister Desley Boyle, with the CMC conceding it did not have the jurisdiction.

Ms Boyle said she would discuss with her director-general whether there was need for an `additional investigation’.

The CMC’s highly anticipated public statement revealed that only the State Government itself, under Section 167 of the Local Government Act, had the power to call a wide-ranging inquiry similar to the Tweed’s.