{"id":8736,"date":"2023-06-29T17:52:49","date_gmt":"2023-06-29T16:52:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=8736"},"modified":"2023-06-29T17:57:30","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T16:57:30","slug":"australias-corruption-probe-reveals-state-lawmakers-connections-to-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/asia\/asia-pacific\/australian-news\/australias-corruption-probe-reveals-state-lawmakers-connections-to-china\/2023\/06\/29\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia’s Corruption Probe Reveals State Lawmaker’s Connections to China"},"content":{"rendered":"

SYDNEY<\/span> (Reuters)<\/span> By Dr Majid Khan–<\/span> Former<\/span> prime<\/span> minister<\/span> of<\/span> Australia’s<\/span> most<\/span> populous<\/span> state<\/span> of<\/span> New<\/span> South<\/span> Wales,<\/span> Gladys<\/span> Berejiklian,<\/span> is<\/span> suspected<\/span> of<\/span> being<\/span> involved<\/span> in<\/span> corrupt<\/span> practices<\/span> involving<\/span> a<\/span> secret<\/span> affair<\/span> with<\/span> another<\/span> member<\/span> of<\/span> parliament,<\/span> officials<\/span> said<\/span> on<\/span> Thursday.<\/span> It<\/span> was<\/span> revealed<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> detailed<\/span> corruption<\/span> investigation<\/span> report<\/span> that<\/span> was<\/span> released.<\/span> Thursday.<\/span> The<\/span> investigation,<\/span> conducted<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> Independent<\/span> Corruption<\/span> Commission<\/span> of<\/span> New<\/span> South<\/span> Wales<\/span> (ICAC),<\/span> investigated<\/span> allegations<\/span> of<\/span> corrupt<\/span> dealings<\/span> with<\/span> China.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> ICAC<\/span> report<\/span> said<\/span> Berejiklian<\/span> failed<\/span> to<\/span> convey<\/span> his<\/span> concerns<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> commission<\/span> about<\/span> state<\/span> legislator<\/span> Daryl<\/span> Maguire,<\/span> with<\/span> whom<\/span> he<\/span> had<\/span> a<\/span> relationship<\/span> during<\/span> his<\/span> tenure.<\/span> This<\/span> failure<\/span> to<\/span> disclose<\/span> undermines<\/span> the<\/span> decree.<\/span> In<\/span> testifying<\/span> as<\/span> part<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> corruption<\/span> investigation,<\/span> Berejiklian,<\/span> who<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> widely<\/span> respected<\/span> for<\/span> his<\/span> leadership<\/span> skills<\/span> during<\/span> the<\/span> COVID-19<\/span> pandemic,<\/span> has<\/span> a<\/span> secret<\/span> “close<\/span> personal<\/span> relationship”<\/span> with<\/span> Maguire.<\/span> Admitted.<\/span> He<\/span> was<\/span> under<\/span> investigation<\/span> for<\/span> allegedly<\/span> using<\/span> his<\/span> position<\/span> for<\/span> personal<\/span> gain<\/span> by<\/span> doing<\/span> business<\/span> with<\/span> China.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Following<\/span> the<\/span> revelations,<\/span> Berejiklian<\/span> stepped<\/span> down<\/span> as<\/span> prime<\/span> minister<\/span> in<\/span> 2020<\/span> after<\/span> an<\/span> ICAC<\/span> announced<\/span> an<\/span> investigation<\/span> into<\/span> whether<\/span> he<\/span> had<\/span> betrayed<\/span> the<\/span> public’s<\/span> trust.<\/span> The<\/span> report<\/span> is<\/span> now<\/span> under<\/span> scrutiny<\/span> by<\/span> her<\/span> legal<\/span> team,<\/span> and<\/span> Ms.<\/span> Berejiklian<\/span> has<\/span> always<\/span> acted<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> public<\/span> interest,<\/span> she<\/span> claimed.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Investigations<\/span> revealed<\/span> that<\/span> Maguire<\/span> had<\/span> established<\/span> ties<\/span> with<\/span> China<\/span> and<\/span> Australia<\/span> and<\/span> sought<\/span> financial<\/span> gain<\/span> through<\/span> various<\/span> government<\/span> agencies.<\/span> The<\/span> Australian<\/span> branch<\/span> of<\/span> China’s<\/span> largest<\/span> property<\/span> developer<\/span> became<\/span> Maguire’s<\/span> client<\/span> after<\/span> being<\/span> introduced<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> founder<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Australian<\/span> Council<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> Promotion<\/span> of<\/span> Peaceful<\/span> Reunification<\/span> of<\/span> China,<\/span> an<\/span> organization<\/span> that<\/span> ties<\/span> Australia<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> Chinese<\/span> government.<\/span> During<\/span> the<\/span> investigation,<\/span> Maguire<\/span> said<\/span> he<\/span> received<\/span> an<\/span> envelope<\/span> containing<\/span> cash<\/span> as<\/span> part<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> scheme<\/span> to<\/span> fraudulently<\/span> obtain<\/span> visas<\/span> from<\/span> Chinese<\/span> nationals.<\/span> The<\/span> commission<\/span> concluded<\/span> that<\/span> Maguire<\/span> committed<\/span> “serious<\/span> corruption”<\/span> between<\/span> 2012<\/span> and<\/span> 2018<\/span> in<\/span> connection<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> visa<\/span> system<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> irregularities.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> investigation<\/span> also<\/span> found<\/span> that<\/span> Mr<\/span> Maguire<\/span> abused<\/span> his<\/span> position<\/span> as<\/span> chairman<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> New<\/span> South<\/span> Wales<\/span> Legislature’s<\/span> Asia-Pacific<\/span> Friendship<\/span> Group<\/span> to<\/span> further<\/span> the<\/span> commercial<\/span> interests<\/span> of<\/span> Chinese<\/span> economic<\/span> groups<\/span> in<\/span> South<\/span> Pacific<\/span> countries.<\/span> In<\/span> addition,<\/span> he<\/span> used<\/span> his<\/span> legislative<\/span> role<\/span> to<\/span> assist<\/span> his<\/span> company,<\/span> G8way,<\/span> which<\/span> aimed<\/span> to<\/span> sell<\/span> access<\/span> to<\/span> Australian<\/span> government<\/span> officials.<\/span> G8way’s<\/span> Beijing<\/span> representative<\/span> was<\/span> a<\/span> former<\/span> Sydney<\/span> Vice<\/span> Consul.<\/span> The<\/span> report<\/span> also<\/span> found<\/span> that<\/span> in<\/span> 2012,<\/span> Maguire<\/span> introduced<\/span> the<\/span> party<\/span> secretary<\/span> of<\/span> Liaoning<\/span> Province,<\/span> China,<\/span> to<\/span> then<\/span> New<\/span> South<\/span> Wales<\/span> Premier<\/span> Barry<\/span> O’Farrell<\/span> and<\/span> paid<\/span> him<\/span> for<\/span> abusing<\/span> his<\/span> position.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Maguire<\/span> is<\/span> currently<\/span> accused<\/span> of<\/span> involvement<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> visa<\/span> system,<\/span> but<\/span> has<\/span> yet<\/span> to<\/span> appeal<\/span> in<\/span> court.<\/span> His<\/span> lawyers<\/span> argued<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> commission<\/span> lacked<\/span> the<\/span> authority<\/span> to<\/span> make<\/span> a<\/span> criminal<\/span> finding<\/span> and<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> lengthy<\/span> 600-page<\/span> report<\/span> was<\/span> still<\/span> under<\/span> review.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> ICAC<\/span> has<\/span> announced<\/span> its<\/span> intention<\/span> to<\/span> consult<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> Attorney<\/span> General<\/span> to<\/span> determine<\/span> whether<\/span> further<\/span> criminal<\/span> proceedings<\/span> should<\/span> be<\/span> pursued<\/span> against<\/span> Maguire.<\/span>
\n<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SYDNEY (Reuters) By Dr Majid Khan– Former prime minister of Australia’s most populous state of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian, is suspected of being involved in corrupt practices involving a secret affair with another member of parliament, officials said on Thursday. It was revealed in a detailed corruption investigation report that was released. Thursday. The […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8737,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[1566,2425],"tags":[1574,3812,7092,7128,7129,7130,7131,7132,7133,7134],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/download-22.jpg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8736"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8736"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8736\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8740,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8736\/revisions\/8740"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}