Andrew Demetriou’s ‘bizarre witness stint slated in Crown report as future as company director questioned

Crown casino inquiry says ex-AFL boss should go after what it says was a ‘bizarre’ appearance in the witness box.

Andrew Demetriou giving evidence to the NSW casino inquiry via video link last year.

Crown Resorts director Andrew Demetriou’s tenure could end after a NSW casino inquiry report said there are “very serious doubts” over its suitability to run a casino should he remain on its board after a “quite bizarre” performance as an inquiry witness.

Mr Demetriou’s evidence justifies a mooted new casino regulator “lacking confidence” in his future involvement in the industry, said the report by Commissioner Patricia Bergin SC, released on Tuesday.

Mr Demetriou, the one-time AFL chief executive and Melbourne powerbroker who is also chairman of Crown Melbourne, gave evidence to the inquiry last October and was seen to be reading from notes when discussing workplace culture at Crown.

Tuesday’s report said Mr Demetriou gave a “quite bizarre performance” as a witness and that a regulatory body “would be justified in lacking confidence in placing reliance upon Mr Demetriou in the future”.

Crown faced accusations of failing to prevent money laundering at its casinos and dealings with junket operators linked to criminal syndicates, and Mr Demetriou’s removal as director was among a string of recommendations in Commissioner Bergin’s report.

In October, he was caught reading from notes while giving evidence via video link to the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority inquiry, and the former AFL chief’s independence from major shareholder James Packer was also called into question.

At the time, Mr Demetriou appeared to have read a description of proper organisational culture from notes, which he had been told was not allowed, looking down repeatedly while giving evidence.

It later emerged he had delivered almost word for word what his notes – later tendered as evidence – contained.

“Oh Mr Demetriou, why did you do it?” Commissioner Bergin said during his evidence, her head in her hands, after he had denied five times when asked if he was reading from his notes.

“This was a most unedifying performance by Mr Demetriou,” Tuesday’s report said, going on to add that it was “inexplicable” that he did not accept the proposition he had been caught reading the notes and that he could have explained this by saying he was trying to assist by being accurate.

“But he persisted with his version of events that clearly cannot be accepted. Unfortunately it reflects very badly on his judgment …[and] it is difficult to understand what might reasonably be made of this quite bizarre performance.”

Mr Demetriou has had mixed success in the business world since leaving the AFL at the end of 2014. He was chairman of the ASX-listed Capitol Health until November and was chairman of the advisory board of the controversial Acquire Learning business that collapsed in 2017 owing debts of $145m.

Crown said in a statement on Tuesday that it “is currently considering the inquiry report” and would work with the NSW ILGA in relation to the findings and recommendations.