Former ACCC chairman Allan Fels tells Carlton to stand down Luke Sayers
Carlton has been urged to stand down president Luke Sayers as he battles a tax leak scandal which occurred during his time as CEO of PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia.
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Carlton has been urged to stand down president Luke Sayers, who could be called before a Senate Inquiry over the tax leak scandal.
Sayers served as chief executive of embattled firm PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia (PwC) from 2012-2020.
The Blues’ boss was in charge when former tax partner Peter Collins was leaking Australian government secrets to PwC clients to help them avoid paying tax.
The Blues have repeatedly declined to comment on whether the scandal would impact his ability to serve as president.
However it’s understood no discussions have taken place at Ikon Park about Sayers standing down from his role as president before he has to in 2024 under the club’s constitution.
On Tuesday former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Allan Fels called for the Blues to make a move on Sayers.
“I can’t see how Carlton Football Club can keep a person as president when there are such big question marks hanging over him,” Fels told Channel 7.
“He should be called because he was the CEO when all of this happened.”
Fels served as the inaugural chair of Australia’s regulator of competition law and consumer law from 1989-2003.
Last week the Treasury referred the PwC scandal to the Australian Federal Police to “consider commencement of a criminal investigation”.
The under-fire accounting and consultancy firm this week told nine of its partners to take leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
PwC also announced that the chairs of its governance board and designated risk committee were stepping down.
Sayers will to fly to Europe next month for a holiday where he is expected to miss one home game but no scheduled board meetings.
The Blues’ board was rocked by the resignation of long-time director Craig Mathieson at the weekend after a bust-up with Sayers in the SCG rooms following Friday night’s loss to Sydney.
There are only seven board members left at Carlton, with Patty Kinnersly and Robert Priestley serving as joint vice-presidents under Sayers.
The Blues have lost six of their past seven games, slumping to 13th on the ladder with several key football department decisions made since Sayers took over in 2021 coming into focus.
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Originally published as Former ACCC chairman Allan Fels tells Carlton to stand down Luke Sayers
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