CCC Council inquiry: Mayor Tom Tate declines to comment further on allegations against chief of staff

Mayor Tom Tate has declined to comment further on allegations involving his long-serving chief of staff, who was allegedly interfering with council business.

MAYOR Tom Tate has declined to comment further on allegations involving his long-serving chief of staff, who was allegedly interfering with council business by doing favours for outside mates.

A 84-page Crime and Corruption Commission report tabled on Friday accused Wayne Moran of helping the directors of two companies obtain benefits through council.

No criminal charges will be laid from the CCC’s Operation Yabber.

Mayor Tom Tate. Picture Glenn Hampson

However, Cr Tate has been referred to the Office of the Independent Assessor for alleged misconduct after blocking a disciplinary investigation into his chief of staff. Mr Moran is facing an internal council probe.

In one exchange in the CCC report, Mr Moran is accused of replying to the request of a company director: “Write the guts of what you want in the Ltr (sic) and I’ll get the Mayor to sign this week before he goes.”

Cr Tate declined to comment when asked by the Bulletin yesterday if it happened.

The CCC also alleged council CEO Dale Dickson conducted a “long process” between 2013-15 to get Mr Moran to declare conflicts of interest.

Wayne Moran. Photo: Richard Gosling

MAYOR: I KNEW NOTHING OF CHIEF OF STAFF’S BUSINESS

It is alleged that in mid-November 2015 Mr Dickson tried to discipline the chief of staff for failing to declare a conflict of interest. When Mr Moran refused, the CEO issued him with a show cause letter for disciplinary action.

The CCC claims Cr Tate later wrote to Mr Dickson, ordering him to close the case.

Cr Tate said on Friday the reason he directed Mr Dickson to stop further action against Mr Moran was to settle the long-running issue, which he liked to a family feud.

The Bulletin yesterday asked what information he had before he made that decision, and the basis on which he chose to side with Mr Moran. He declined to comment.

Dale Dickson. Picture: Jerad Williams

When asked at Friday’s press conference what he knew about Mr Moran’s business dealings and alleged conflicts of interest, the Mayor said: “I do not know the details of Wayne’s company that much, it’s his private company, it’s the company he still has.

“I don’t know a lot about his business. I used him for our mayoral campaign in 2012, he helped Rob Molhoek in 2008 and I thought, looking at it, that he had the making of someone who is good in detail and that’s what I wanted,” he said.

Yesterday, the Bulletin asked Cr Tate to further clarify this, to which he said: “I’ll be making no further comment at this time. I’ve said my piece and we now need to let the process take its course.”

WHAT MAYOR TOM TATE SAID TO THE CCC

Mayor Tom Tate. Picture: Mike Batterham

Mr Moran, who has been stood down pending an internal council probe, told the Bulletin late on Friday: “I’m pleased and not surprised that the CCC have confirmed no corruption nor anything criminal on my part. I was never in any doubt of that outcome.”

On Friday, Cr Tate said he had no knowledge of Mr Moran “involving himself” in matters before council linked to two companies, including a town planning firm he had previously performed paid work for through his company Jacem.

Mr Moran was stood down with full pay in November last year.

Cr Tate described the CCC report as being “terrific” for the council, saying: “The report is nice and detailed. For me, it’s an A plus.”

The Mayor said the report vindicated himself and the council and said it would have no impact on him contesting a third term at the March 28 election.