NSW ICAC turmoil: Ex-MP Daryl Maguire’s phones ‘crushed by tractor’

Former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire allegedly ­destroyed multiple mobile devices with a tractor during an ‘accident’ in a paddock.

Maggie Wang gives evidence to the NSW ICAC on Tuesday.

Disgraced former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire allegedly ­­de­stroyed multiple mobile devices with a tractor during an “unfortunate accident” in a paddock, ­before asking his offsider to delete emails and text messages that could implicate him in a “cash for visa” scheme, a corruption inquiry­ has heard.

The 16th day of the Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry heard from Maggie Wang, the linchpin of the visa scheme run by Mr Maguire’s company, G8wayinternational, who said she’d deleted evidence, lied to ICAC investigators and attempted­ to tamper with witnesses.

The revelations came a day after the inquiry heard that Mr Maguire and Gladys Berejiklian had a secret five-year relationship, during which the NSW Premier told the former Wagga Wagga MP she “doesn’t need to know” about his attempts to help procure the $330m sale of a ­Sydney development site. During a meeting at a Sydney cafe in July 2018, in the midst of the Operation Dasher probe, Mr Maguire told Ms Wang multiple phones and an iPad had an “unfortunate­ accident in the ­paddock” involving “tractors”. She agreed this meant they had been ­destroyed.

Under questioning from counsel assisting the inquiry, Scott Robertson, Ms Wang was brought to tears, admitting she’d lied to ICAC investigators at five separate private and public hearings, before eventually coming clean.

During the Operation Dasher probe in 2018, Ms Wang admitted that after lying to investigators about the visa scheme she tried to convince three Riverina businessmen to refrain from telling ICAC about the tens of thousands of dollars in payments they had received from her.

“I was panicked. I was shamed,” Ms Wang told Mr ­Robertson. “I couldn’t cope. I just feel like it was a disaster.”

“You were seeking to encourage them to tell a particularly false story to this commission, do you agree?” Mr Robertson asked.

“Yes,” Ms Wang replied.

The inquiry had previously heard Ms Wang paid several Riverina businessmen tens of thousands of dollars in exchange for signing falsified immigration documents, providing Chinese nationals with visas without ­requiring them to work.

In addition, Ms Wang detailed several commercial opportunities she and Mr Maguire pursued, includin­g business deals across the South Pacific, a $42m property ­development in Gladesville, Sydney, and an oil technology they ­attempted to sell. None came to fruition.

Across a series of intercepted telephone calls, emails and messages, Ms Wang and her former boss discussed his efforts to set up meetings with prime ministers and consul-generals — all to assist­ a Chinese business group obtain investment funds from the Shenzhen regional government.

“So put it on letterhead, let him sign it and basically yep we’re ready for the next stage. You know we want to meet with the Prime Minister … I can make that happen,” Mr Maguire said.

A sticking point for businessman Ho Yuen Li was signing memorandums of understanding with Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu which would reassure the Shenzhen government he had a relationship with them.

“The situation has changed, it’s very difficult to get money out of China to invest,” Ms Wang told Mr Maguire in one intercepted call. “Samoa needs to understand that.” “It’s causing a lot of problems,” Mr Maguire replied.