Former Liberal MP Maguire hit with mountain of evidence in alleged cash-for-visa scam

A lawyer for the former Wagga MP and one-time lover of Gladys Berejiklian says it will cost $17,000 to print the brief of evidence.

Prosecutors have filed a mountainous brief of evidence against former Wagga MP Daryl Maguire which his lawyer claims will cost $17,000 to print, as authorities lay new charges against his alleged co-conspirator in a cash-for-visa scam.

The Australian Border Force allege Mr Maguire conspired with migration agent Maggie Wang, now known as Maggie Logan, and charged him with “furnishing false documents and false or misleading information relating to a non-citizen” in relation to the alleged scheme.

Mr Maguire’s lawyer, Jim Harrowell, told a hearing at the Sydney Downing Centre on Tuesday that the brief of evidence provided by prosecutors late the night before was “substantial”, and was granted an adjournment to comb through the material.

The court heard that Ms Wang has been hit with an additional 28 charges on Monday night, on top of 12 counts of the immigration offence she was charged with in November at the time of her and Mr Maguire’s arrest.

Ms Wang’s lawyer William Vahl told the court the brief of evidence against his client took up 13 gigabytes and that her situation was further complicated as her phone had been seized by anti-corruption investigators.

“There is the issue of access to my client‘s phone which is currently with ICAC, so it will be difficult for my client to take part in the case,” Mr Vahl said.

Mr Maguire – who served as the Liberal member for Wagga Wagga from 1999 to when he stood down in 2018 – has been charged with one count of the offence, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

A screen grab of Maggie Wang on the stand at ICAC.

The one-time lover of former premier Gladys Berejiklian was the subject of an investigation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption, known as Operation Keppel, into whether he used his public office and parliamentary resources to improperly gain benefit for himself and his associates.

The ICAC inquiry heard allegations Ms Wang ran a cash-for-visas scheme, which gave tens of thousands of dollars to three Riverina businessmen to employ Chinese workers.

It’s alleged the business owners received kickbacks of up to $30,000 and only realised they may be involved in a scam when the worker didn’t show up and they were paid in cash.

The hearing also heard that Ms Wang allegedly destroyed correspondence between herself and Mr Maguire and she regularly received cash payments of up to $20,000.

Mr Maguire was alleged to have secretly controlled the business at the centre of the scheme, G8way International, and that envelopes containing tens of thousands of dollars in cash were brought to him at Parliament House.

The inquiry also heard that Mr Maguire and Ms Berejiklian had been in a romantic relationship for five years. Ms Berejiklian said the relationship was not of “sufficient significance” to declare.

Ms Berejiklian resigned in September 2021 after the anti-corruption body revealed that it was investigating whether she broke the law by failing to report the conduct of her former boyfriend.

Ms Berejiklian is not suspected of any wrongdoing in the cash-for-visa case and has not been charged with any offences.

ABF charged Mr Maguire and Ms Wang in November following an “extensive investigation” into the alleged “visa and migration fraud”, and the pair were released on strict bail conditions.

Both matters will return to court on April 4.