ICAC to hold public hearings into Transport for NSW contracts
The state’s corruption watchdog is set to hold six weeks of public hearings into whether Transport for NSW employees were “favourable” or “dishonestly” awarded tenders to private companies dating back 13 years.
NSW
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The state’s corruption watchdog is set to hold six weeks of public hearings into bombshell allegations relating to whether Transport for NSW employees were “favourable” or “dishonestly” awarded tenders to private companies dating back 13 years.
The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) announced on Monday that the public inquiry, set to be begin in three weeks, will delve into “an allegation concerning Transport for NSW employees” under Operation Wyvern.
The Daily Telegraph revealed last October that ICAC was conducting a secret probe into whether companies had received millions of dollars in kickbacks for procurement deals.
The investigation saw a series of raids on private firms and properties relating to government employees.
“The Commission is investigating whether, since 2012, TfNSW employees partially and/or dishonestly exercised official functions by awarding contracts to, or favouring, companies on the TfNSW: safety barriers panel; asphalt panel; line-marking panel; bitumen and spray sealing panel; and traffic control panel, in return for benefits,” ICAC said in a statement released on Monday.
“The general scope and purpose of this public inquiry is to gather evidence relevant to the allegation being investigated for the purpose of determining the matters referred to in section 13(2) of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988.”
That section of the act relates to ICAC conducting investigations to determine whether any corrupt conduct is, was or was about occur, whether any laws needed changing to reduce the chance of corrupt conduct or whether any work practices or procedures could encourage corruption.
Raptor Squad officers assisted in the ICAC raids last September, which included sites on the north coast and western Sydney.
While authorities remained tight-lipped on the investigation, it is understood almost $30 million in assets – including two Bentleys – were among items seized during the multi-agency raids.
No charges have been laid following the raids.
Transport for NSW is responsible for handing out contracts to private companies for new works and maintenance, with companies placed on a panel before they can tender for the lucrative jobs.
ICAC Chief Commissioner and former NSW Attorney-General John Hatzistergos will preside at the public inquiry, and counsel assisting the commission will be Rob Ranken SC and Gráinne Marsden.
The public inquiry will be the second ICAC probe into the inner-workings of Transport for NSW in less than a decade, with Operation Paragon making findings of serious corrupt conduct against two public officials and 13 other people over activity spanning nearly 10 years and involving the awarding of over $38 million of work.
Those allegations related to a period of time between 2009 and 2019 and involved the Roads and Traffic Authority, which became Roads and Maritime Services in 2011 and was later brought under the banner of Transport for NSW.
The six-week public inquiry will begin on July 14 and be held at the ICAC’s hearing room in Sydney.
Originally published as ICAC to hold public hearings into Transport for NSW contracts
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