ICAC turmoil: Daryl Maguire puts the focus on staffer

The former chief of staff to then planning minister Anthony Roberts has become entangled in the Daryl Maguire corruption inquiry.

Daryl Maguire fronts the ICAC hearing in Sydney on Wednesday.

The former chief of staff to then planning minister Anthony Roberts has become entangled in the Daryl Maguire corruption inquiry, accused of having facilitated an “off the record” meeting with a property developer — ­despite previously saying he was “ambushed”.

On the 17th day of hearings at the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the former Wagga Wagga MP contradicted earlier evidence given by Rob Vellar, saying he told him to “come for a glass of red” — code for an “informal meeting” in his office with property developer Joseph Alha.

During his evidence, Mr Maguire said it was “clear in his mind” that he told Mr Vellar about the purpose and attendees of the meeting before he messaged him on November 15, 2017.

“I’m clear that there are a number of discussions to arrange the meeting. I’m not clear how that was communicated to Joe, but I am clear that I spoke personally to Mr Vellar on three or four occasions and that was the arrangement that was made,” Mr Maguire told counsel assisting the inquiry, Scott Robertson.

“Mr Vellar has said in the witness box … that he was ambushed by the meeting,” Mr Robertson said.

“That is not true,” Mr Maguire responded.

Asked why he’d text Mr Vellar saying “come for a red” when he in fact meant a meeting with Mr Alha, Mr Maguire told the commission it was “code” for an informal meeting.

“So why, as you understood it, was Mr Vellar willing to and prepared to have a meeting with a property developer that was going to be as it were off the record?” Mr Robertson asked.

“Well, I don’t know why he chose that particular approach,” Mr Maguire replied.

On October 9, Mr Vellar ­appeared as a witness at the hearing and agreed that he had been “ambushed” at the 5pm meeting, during which Mr Alha outlined the difficulties he was having getting approval for one of his development projects.

“I didn’t know I was meeting with Mr Alha. I didn’t have the opportunity to consider whether I’d be happy to meet with him,” Mr Vellar said at the time.

The meeting was arranged after Mr Alha’s initial request — a sit down with Mr Roberts and Premier Gladys Berejiklian — failed to come to fruition.

Asked why he arranged for a meeting to go ahead with Mr Roberts’ chief of staff, as opposed to the planning minister, Mr Maguire said Mr Vellar “chose to go down that path”.

Mr Vellar had initially been tied to the corruption inquiry, after an email exchange tendered as evidence showed him discussing intervening in nominations to an independent property panel.

Despite initially rebuffing the former Wagga Wagga MP, telling him to “stay out of it”, Mr Vellar later inquired about the “shifty characters” applying for the state’s independent Hearing and Assessment Panels.

There is no suggestion that Mr Vellar or Mr Roberts had any involvement in Mr Maguire’s property interests.

The corruption inquiry continues on Thursday.