Source: ABCnews
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced her resignation, after the state’s corruption watchdog revealed it was investigating her.
The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) announced an investigation into whether there was a conflict of interest during her relationship with former MP Daryl Maguire.
ICAC is investigating whetherMs Berejiklian breached public trust when she awarded grants to several community organisations between 2012 and 2018.
The ICAC said it would probe whether Ms Berejiklian was in a position of conflict between her public duties and her private interests when she was in a personal relationship with then-MP Daryl Maguire.
The ICAC will hold public hearings as part of Operation Keppel from Monday, October 18.
The Premier will be questioned about grants awarded or promised to the Australian Clay Target Association in Wagga Wagga and to the Riverina Conservatorium of Music in Wagga Wagga at a time when Mr Maguire was the local member.
The hearings will examine whether the Ms Berejiklian breached public trust by failing to report anything in relation to her then boyfriend Mr Maguire that she suspected could constitute corrupt conduct.
The ICAC is also investigating whether Mr Maguire used his position as a member of the NSW Parliament to gain an improper benefit for himself and his associates.
The inquiry is expected to run for 10 days and proceedings will be live-streamed via the ICAC website.
Mr Maguire, who Ms Berejiklian had a “close personal relationship” with for five years, resigned from Parliament in disgrace in 2018.
Ms Berejiklian confirmed at a corruption inquiry last year that she had been in a relationship with Mr Maguire since 2015 until a few months before the inquiry.
The former Liberal politician was the local member for Wagga Wagga in southern NSW for nearly 20 years before he resigned in 2018.
His resignation came after he admitted to a separate ICAC that he sought payment over a property deal.
Ms Berejiklian told an ICAC inquiry last year about her relationship with Mr Maguire.
“When I was asked to support this inquiry it became apparent to me that I should have absolutely no contact anymore and I ceased all contact,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Ms Berejiklian said their relationship wasn’t generally known among MPs and they sought to keep it private in part because it may have been awkward.
“More substantially, I’m a very private person and I didn’t feel the relationship had sufficient substance for it to be made public.”
