Eddie Obeid charged following anti-corruption investigation

Former NSW Labor ministers Eddie Obeid, Joe Tripodi and Tony Kelly have been hit with criminal charges following a corruption inquiry.

Former NSW Labor ministers Eddie Obeid, Tony Kelly and Joe Tripodi have been charged with criminal offences following an ICAC investigation.

Mr Obeid, Mr Tripodi, Mr Kelly and Mr Kelly’s former chief of staff Gilbert “Laurie” Brown have each been charged with an offence of misconduct in public office, arising from Operation Credo, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions confirmed late on Monday.

The matters are listed at Downing Centre Local Court on August 25.

In 2017, ICAC found four public officials – Edward Obeid Sr, Joseph Tripodi, Anthony Kelly and Gilbert Brown – had engaged in serious corrupt conduct.

It followed an investigation into dealings between Australian Water Holdings (AWH) and Sydney Water Corporation.

At the time, Mr Obeid Sr, Mr Tripodi and Mr Kelly were members of Parliament. Mr Kelly had ministerial responsibility for infrastructure and Mr Brown was a senior member of Mr Kelly’s staff.

ICAC found Mr Obeid Sr knew that a successful outcome for AWH’s public-private partnership proposal would financially benefit the Obeid family in the event shares were acquired in AWH.

ICAC found that his son, Edward Obeid Jr, worked with an AWH-related entity.

The probe found Mr Obeid Sr misused his position as an MP to promote AWH’s desire to be provided with exclusive rights to build and profit from water infrastructure in parts of north-western Sydney in the form of a directly negotiated public-private partnership.

ICAC found Mr Tripodi, Mr Kelly and Mr Brown were involved in preparing a Cabinet minute aimed at providing AWH with the directly negotiated public-private partnership it – and Mr Obeid Sr – sought.

ICAC’s investigation found that the Cabinet minute contained “falsehoods and misleading omissions” and was created for the purpose of “improperly favouring” Mr Obeid Sr.

The investigation ultimately found strong controls, practices and staff thwarted what would have been a very lucrative deal.

On one estimate, had the public-private proposal been agreed to, the value of AWH would have jumped from $47 million to $156 million.

Mr Obeid was convicted in 2021 of conspiring to commit misconduct in public office over a 2009 mining exploration licence which led to a $30m windfall for the Obeids.

The fallen party powerbroker received a sentence of seven years with a non-parole period of three years and 10 months. He will be eligible for parole in August 2025.

In a statement late on Monday, the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said: “This office … can confirm that Mr Obeid, Mr Tripodi, Mr Kelly and Mr Brown have each been charged with an offence of misconduct in public office, arising from Operation Credo.

“The matters are listed at Downing Centre Local Court on 25 August 2022.”