Gladys Berejiklian told of boyfriend Daryl Maguire’s conduct

Two years before she was forced to disclose her secret relationship, NSW Premier was briefed about corruption claims against Daryl Maguire.

Former NSW Liberal MP Daryl Maguire and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

Gladys Berejiklian was personally briefed in July 2018 that two ministerial advisers were making disclosures to corruption investigators about her then secret boyfriend Daryl Maguire’s alleged misconduct — two years before the Premier was forced to disclose their relationship.

Briefings prepared for the NSW Premier by her department show Ms Berejiklian was twice made aware that officials had gone to the Independent Commission Against Corruption to provide information that might assist the agency’s ongoing ­inquiries into Mr Maguire.

“(The Department of Premier and Cabinet) has been contacted by a staff member currently ­employed in the office of the Minister for Education about information held by the staff member that may be relevant to Operation Dasha,”one of the two briefings, dated July 23, 2018, reads. “The information relates to the staff member’s former role in 2016 as an adviser to the then Minister for Planning … DPC has also been informed that there may be former staff members who may also hold relevant information.”

Mr Maguire resigned on July 21 after Operation Dasha, an ­investigation into corruption allegations at Canterbury City Council and other officials, heard recordings of the Wagga Wagga MP discussing potential “dividends” with property developers.

Mr Maguire is also being ­investigated by a separate ICAC inquiry known as Operation Keppel, which is looking into his use of parliamentary resources for improper gain.

Mr Maguire was in a “close, personal relationship” with Ms Berejiklian at the time, a relationship which continued in secret until the NSW Premier was summoned to a private ICAC hearing two years later.

A second departmental briefing, dated July 27, read: “DPC has been contacted by a staff member currently employed in the office of the Minister for Trade and ­Industry about information held by the staff member that may be relevant to Operation Dasha.”

Since that time, Mr Maguire has been implicated in allegations relating to an illegal visas scheme and for trying to broker favourable deals for developers.

Ms Berejiklian’s office said: “This illustrates the Premier followed normal procedures and noted the fact the Department of Premier and Cabinet was passing information from two ministerial staff to the ICAC to assist in Operation Dasha.”

Despite Mr Maguire’s resignation, and being told that ministerial advisers were coming forward with information that may be relevant to the investigation, Ms Berejiklian did not assist the ICAC until she was summoned in 2020.

Ms Berejiklian was told by Mr Maguire about his interest in property transactions, according to recordings played by the ICAC, but said she considered him a “big talker” who was being “fanciful” and took little attention.

Ms Berejiklian has also said the relationship with Mr Maguire was not of sufficient status to disclose to authorities as required under the ministerial code of ethics.

The Australian is not suggesting any wrongdoing.

Mr Maguire appeared at the Operation Dasha inquiry in July 2018 where he conceded that he was planning to share in commissions obtained from property developers. The admission resulted in a demand from Ms Berejiklian and others in the Liberal Party for Mr Maguire’s resignation.

A week after stepping down, the official working in the Planning Minister’s office documented their concerns with Mr Maguire’s lobbying efforts on behalf of a property and project management company whose client, JGroup, was encountering difficulties in the Sydney suburb of Concord. “I have no indication that there was any wrongdoing, however I felt it prudent for the information to be passed on,” the staffer wrote to DPC, which forwarded the disclosure to ICAC.

“The events in last week’s media involving Mr Maguire prompted me to remember advice and a meeting where Mr Maguire sought information about a development outside of his electorate.”

The disclosure included an email from Mr Maguire and a letter signed by Matt Daniel, the development director of Pacific Planning, a property consultancy, and a prominent party member. A spokesman for the company said it was engaged by JGroup to write to Mr Maguire seeking assistance.

JGroup is run by Joseph Alha, a property developer and friend of Mr Maguire who gave evidence during the Operation Keppel hearings last year. The ICAC has delayed handing down its submissions while it investigates further.

The second staffer disclosed a request from Mr Maguire to assist with a commercial dispute involving an oaten-hay export company called United World Enterprises, which featured heavily during the Operation Keppel hearings.

The briefing document stated that the adviser making the disclosure had done so because Mr Maguire’s lobbying efforts had the potential to hold relevance to ongoing investigations.

Labor’s Adam Searle said the Premier should have made disclosures about her relationship to the ICAC, just as ministerial staff made disclosures out of an abundance of caution.

“The revelations contained in these documents provide yet more evidence that the Premier has covered up what she knew of Mr Maguire’s financial dealings, and show beyond any argument that she was under a legal obligation to disclose what she knew to the ICAC – a duty she failed to uphold,” he said.

“Two government staff members reported what they knew of Mr Maguire’s activities to the Premier’s department and the Premier was informed there was a legal obligation to provide that material to the anti-corruption watchdog.

“Why then did the Premier fail to make her own disclosures about the things she knew of Mr Maguire?”