Dozens of submissions to Fitzgerald inquiry but still no compensation for ex-Logan councillors

Dozens of Logan submissions have been lodged with a Royal Commission delving into the state’s crime watchdog and the way it handled charging eight of the city’s councillors with fraud.

Eight former Logan City councillors are still waiting for compensation and an apology more than a year after fraud charges were dropped and after enduring seven inquiries and court cases.

The latest inquiry, a Royal Commission delving into the state’s Crime and Corruption Commission and the way it handled charging the eight councillors with fraud, is due to hand down a report in August.

Dozens of Logan submissions have been lodged with the inquiry, headed by Queens Counsel Tony Fitzgerald, but so far none have been made public.

Former Logan City councillor Phil Pidgeon said enduring seven inquiries had been stressful and confirmed he had engaged lawyers, with all parties forced to abide by statutory time limits.

Ex-Logan councillor Phil Pidgeon and wife Robyn.

“This whole debacle has been so taxing on me and my family,” Mr Pidgeon said.

“We have been through more scrutiny and questioning than any state or federal member has ever been put through.

“To go through seven different inquiries and investigations and have nothing found against us is draining and exhausting.

“How much taxpayer money has to be spent before someone rectifies the wrongs done against the eight of us?”

Logan City Council 2017 citizen of the year David Kenny said he hoped the Fitzgerald inquiry 2.0 would publish authorised public submissions from ex-councillors and interested parties.

Logan City Council citizen of the year 2017 David Kenny. Dozens of Logan submissions have been lodged with a Royal Commission delving into the state’s crime watchdog and the way it handled charging eight Logan councillors with fraud.

“This has been a long wait for compensation for these eight councillors, many who have not worked since being wrongly sacked in 2019,” Mr Kenny said.

“These councillors have had their reputations destroyed and they survived seven in-depth inquiries and court cases with no wrongdoing found.

“But the only compensation available at the moment is an ex-gratia payment because there is nothing written in the CCC Charter about compensation.”

The seven inquiries included the criminal court case which ended in April 2021 with the Director of Public Prosecutions Carl Heaton withdrawing fraud charges levelled at the eight councillors.

A 2019 civil court case in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission, brought by the council’s former CEO Sharon Kelsey, found in favour of the eight councillors and, after an appeal, was dismissed in May.

A Parliamentary committee also found the Crime and Corruption Commission had not acted impartially, independently or fairly when dealing with the charging of the eight councillors with fraud.

Another independent inquiry into the council was called by the then Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe with Deloitte Consulting finding that there had been no financial impropriety during that council’s term.

A further inquiry was called in May 2019, when the then Logan City Council administrator Tamara O’Shea ordered an investigation into the council’s finances.

It was undertaken by PriceWaterhouseCoopers which also found no wrongdoing and no need to alter governance practices within the council.

Originally published as Dozens of submissions to Fitzgerald inquiry but still no compensation for ex-Logan councillors