CCC MacSporran refuses to step down during Logan PCCC inquiry

CCC chairman Alan MacSporran has refused to step aside while the Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee investigates the way it handled charging seven former Logan City councillors.

CCC chairman will remain in the role during the PCCC’s investigation into the way Logan City councillors were charged with fraud.

Crime and Corruption Commission chairman Alan MacSporran has refused to step aside while the Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee investigates the way it handled charging seven former Logan City councillors with fraud.

Speaking at a public meeting of the Parliamentary Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee, Mr MacSporran said there was no basis for him to step down during the investigation.

Mr MacSporran was responding to a question from PCCC chair Jon Krause who also told committee members not to ask further questions ahead of the inquiry into the Logan City Council councillors being charged.

Mr Krause said “there has been calls from some parties” for Mr MacSporran to stand aside while the inquiry was pending.

Alan MacSporran at the PCCC inquiry today.

“I have no intention of standing aside and I said that publicly when the allegations first arose and when there were public calls for my standing down,” he said

“In my view, there is no basis for me to stand down while these investigations and allegations are dealt with.

“As you have said publicly, the inquiry is to be set up and starting in August and it is not to report until November and that’s a significant period of time, where if I were to stand down the organisation would be without a full-time chair.

“That for the obvious reason would be undesirable but fundamentally, in my considered opinion, supported by my commissioner and staff, there is no basis for me to consider further the idea of standing down in these circumstances.”

The PCCC will investigate the way the state’s Crime and Corruption Commission investigated the former councillors which led to them being charged with fraud in 2019 before the charges were dismissed this year.

People with information about the CCC and its involvement at the council have been asked to lodge submissions before next week’s deadline.

Seven Logan City councillors were charged with fraud and those charges were later dismissed.

The inquiry will focus on the CCC decision to charge the former councillors, the evidence given to the Director of Public Prosecutions, communication between the two bodies and the CCC’s involvement in an Queensland Industrial Relations Commission case involving the council’s former CEO Sharon Kelsey.

Mr MacSporran was before the PCCC on Wednesday to hand down an update of the CCC works from April to May.

That included the finalisation of 31 crime investigations resulting in 23 people charged for 468 criminal offences.

Over the two months, the CCC conducted 176 crime hearing days and examined 165 witnesses which helped police to continue work on cold case investigations, homicides and crimes against children.

Mr MacSporran said during the two months, the CCC finalised two major crime investigations into a Gold Coast drug syndicate which was involved in money laundering and an international drug syndicate which imported plant and equipment.

The CCC obtained 37 restraining orders with a value of $18.3 million and 28 forfeitures of property to the state valued at more than $8 million.

Mr MacSporran said there was public interest in reports from the watchdog.

“However, there are limitations to matters we discuss in open session including investigations which are ongoing,” he said.

Originally published as CCC MacSporran refuses to step down during Logan PCCC inquiry