Blind faith: John Sidoti pleads ignorance at ICAC

Former Berejiklian government minister John Sidoti has pleaded ignorance over accusations he failed to disclose years of pecuniary interests relating to his family’s income.

John Sidoti leaves the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing in Sydney on Tuesday. Picture: Joel Carrett

Former Berejiklian government minister John Sidoti has pleaded ignorance over accusations he failed to disclose years of pecuniary interests relating to his family’s income, telling the NSW corruption watchdog he repeatedly signed contracts without reading or understanding them.

The four-week public hearing at the Independent Commission Against Corruption has explored allegations Mr Sidoti improperly influenced City of Canada Bay Council councillors between 2011 and 2018 in a bid to overturn independent planning advice to benefit his family’s property interests.

The Drummoyne MP’s ostensible lack of knowledge about his financial affairs were a common theme throughout his appearance at Tuesday’s hearing, with Mr Sidoti repeatedly telling counsel assisting the commission, Rob Ranken, he didn’t read or “understand” legally binding contracts before he signed them.

Despite signing documents that appointed him a trustee to his family’s business, Deveme Pty Limited, Mr Sidoti said he had no idea what being a trustee or beneficiary meant until allegations were raised in 2017.

“I’m not sure what I’ve signed, to be honest with you,” he said.

“And did it continue after you entered parliament that you continued signing documents even though you never looked at what you’re signing and didn’t understand?” ICAC chief commissioner Peter Hall QC asked.

“I looked but I didn’t understand what I had signed,” Mr ­Sidoti responded.

Mr Sidoti and his wife were made trustees of the Deveme Super Fund in 2000, while beneficiaries of the Sidoti Family Trust. As part of his parliamentary duties, Mr Sidoti failed to declare his roles as trustee, or his financial interest in the property his family owned, 120 Great North Road at Five Dock.

Mr Sidoti was the chair of the NSW parliamentary privileges and ethics committee in 2014-15.

ICAC is examining whether Mr Sidoti tried to pressure Liberal members of Canada Bay council to extend a rezoning proposal to include four properties in Five Dock held by his family’s self-managed super fund.

Mr Sidoti also told ICAC he was completely oblivious to his wife, Sandra Sidoti, disclosing an income of $360,001 on her 2016 tax return, despite not partaking in any meaningful employment besides sitting on the company’s board she ran with Mr Sidoti.

“You’ve lived with your wife continually from 2014 to the present. And the first time you heard that she had declared to the tax office a distribution consequent upon the money received on the Ryde sale was today, is that correct?” Mr Hall asked. “Well, in the last few weeks, I’ve come across it,” Mr Sidoti said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ms Sidoti told the inquiry she didn’t know $720,000 had been transferred from a trust into her bank account after a Ryde property sale in 2016.

Although a 2017 letter addressed to him from his accountants included a tax bill for his wife for $146,905, Mr Sidoti said he had no time to “turn his mind to it” because he was working “ridiculous hours” as a sitting MP and parliamentary secretary.

“Are there any documents you read before you sign?” Mr Ranken asked.

“I read all my documents … except these ones,” Mr Sidoti said.