Voices unite as CCC chief Alan MacSporran’s future to be decided next month  

The Omicron outbreak in Queensland has delayed a government decision on the future of the head of the state’s crime watchdog despite renewed calls for him to be sacked.

Embattled Crime and Corruption Commission chair Alan MacSporran could be forced to step down as early as next month if state cabinet discussions in February go against him.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Cabinet would meet to investigate the issue in two weeks but would have to delay addressing Mr MacSporran’s tenure to concentrate on dealing with the surge in Omicron cases ahead of school starting.

“As I said, within the next couple of weeks – definitely before Parliament goes back – we will be looking at that in depth,” Ms Palaszczuk said on Monday.

“I want cabinet to really take its time and definitely consider that. It is a very detailed report, I finished that report and it is a very serious report.”

Mr MacSporran, who has headed up the crime watchdog since 2015 and gets paid more than $534,000 a year, has come under fire after an in-depth parliamentary investigation, following the dismissal of fraud charges it levelled against eight Logan City councillors.

Vocal critics of Mr MacSporran have included Local Government Association of Queensland chief Greg Hallam along with prominent members of the legal fraternity including barrister Greg Williams and former Logan, Ipswich and Moreton Bay councillors.

Former Logan City councillor Phil Pidgeon, who had a fraud charge against him dismissed but ultimately lost his job, said he was glad the Premier planned to discuss the matter next month.

Mr Pidgeon said regardless of what the government decided over Mr MacSporran’s future, Cabinet and parliament would need to consider compensation for the seven Logan councillors.

Former Logan City councillor Phil Pidgeon has renewed calls for CCC chair Alan MacSporran to resign after it was announced state Cabinet would discuss the issue next month.

Mr Pidgeon, who served on Logan council for 23 years, said the Local Government Act did not address compensation claims against the CCC.

“The government needs to take the lead in and not allow this to become an expensive litigation process, when we are in the middle of a pandemic,” Mr Pidgeon said.

“The government will still have to decide whether to hold a Commission of Inquiry into the handling of the Logan fraud charges and then decide how it will deal with the compensation issues after the damning findings from the PCCC.”

Ipswich councillor Paul Tully, who was also dismissed in 2018 along with the rest of that council following a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation, also called for Mr MacSporran to be sacked.

Mr Williams, a barrister who has represented victims of government agencies including the CCC, was due to file criminal complaints with police this week about the CCC, after he launched an online petition which has 575 signatures calling for Mr MacSporran’s removal.

Greg Williams, a barrister who represented many victims of government agencies including the CCC, has renewed calls for CCC chair Alan MacSporran to resign.

“The Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Commission report into the Logan cases and the obfuscation and refusal to comment by the Premier and other ministers is disturbing,” Mr Williams said.

“All of the CCC officers adversely named in the PCCC report should be stood down immediately, just like the Logan councillors were.

“The Queensland Police Service is conflicted as the police officers would be investigating senior members of the state’s own ‘watchdog’ organisation.

“The Premier should announce the appointment of an interstate judge to head a Royal Commission into the CCC.

“If the government fails to act, I will seek advice from a criminal lawyer and lodge complaints with the QPS. The QPS will have to explain how they will manage their conflict.”

The complaints about Mr MacSporran followed 11 high-profile CCC prosecution cases that failed in the past 12 months.

Those cases included two police officers who had charges of perjury and misconduct dismissed, along with a criminal barrister who had his case of giving false testimony thrown out by a judge, and a former police prosecutor charged with misconduct, was found not guilty.

Other cases involved charges levelled at 15 local government elected members and staff including seven at Ipswich City Council; two at Moreton Bay Regional Council; two at Doomadgee; two at Hope Vale; one at Palm Island; and another at a North Queensland indigenous council.

Mr MacSporran’s five-year contract signed in 2015, was extended until August 31, 2023, with the support and confidence of the Premier.

Mr MacSporran and the CCC were contacted for comment.

Originally published as Voices unite as CCC chief Alan MacSporran’s future to be decided next month