Obeid link inquiry: mayor Khal Asfour ‘did no wrong’

Canterbury-Bankstown mayor Khal Asfour has been cleared of wrongdoing by an independent investigation.

Canterbury-Bankstown mayor Khal Asfour.

Canterbury-Bankstown mayor Khal Asfour has been cleared of wrongdoing by an independent investigation after a former Labor colleague accused him of furthering the interests of corrupt ex-Labor MP Eddie Obeid.

The probe was launched in late September after former Labor Bankstown MP Tania Mihailuk used parliamentary privilege to claim Mr Asfour had been an “acolyte” of Obeid, attempting to help him with the redevelopment of a carpark owned by the Obeid family.

Ms Mihailuk claimed she had unsuccessfully attempted to warn NSW Labor secretary Bob Nanva after Mr Asfour was selected on the party’s Legislative Council ticket, almost ensuring him an eight-year term in parliament. The Bankstown MP’s initial allegations were followed less than 24 hours later by further accusations by Liberal East Hills MP Wendy Lindsay.

Ms Lindsay told parliament she held “longstanding concerns” about inconsistent planning controls in her electorate that evolved from “open conversations” between developers and Bankstown City councillors when Mr Asfour was mayor.

Headed by eminent Sydney silk Arthur Moses and SINC solutions managing director Kath Roach, the months-long investigation found there was “no evidence” Mr Asfour had either a personal or business relationship with Obeid, or his son Paul. Nor had Mr Asfour “failed to declare and manage conflicts of interest” over the West Terrace carpark or local planning decisions related to the East Hills area.

“In relation to the allegations made by Ms Mihailuk MP and Ms Lindsay MP there is no evidence of any corrupt or unlawful act, or breaches of the Code of Conduct/Local Government Act by the Mayor Khal Asfour or any employee of council,” it found.

While Mr Moses said it was a matter for MPs to determine what was raised under parliamentary privilege, he “noted and agreed” with comments by Independent Commission Against Corruption chief commissioner John Hatzistergos. Mr Hatzistergos recently warned candidates for the coming state election they “should act properly in making referrals” and investigations were “rarely if ever assisted by premature publicity”.

Mr Asfour said the waste of government time and resources “on this political witch-hunt must be condemned”.