Former Assistant Treasurer and New South Wales Liberal Senator Arthur Sinodinos is likely to escape sanction following an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) inquiry into his dealings with the Australian Water Holdings (AWH) company, according to Murdoch media The Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun.
The Senator was facing corruption charges about the receipt of annual payments of $200,000 (plus bonuses), for less than 100 hours of work a year.
He was receiving the payments as chair of the company, whilst he was concurrently serving as the New South Wales (NSW) Liberal Party treasurer and president. He resigned from his position with AWH in 2011 to assume his role in the Federal Senate.
Despite the reported findings, he is still set to receive a barrage of criticism by the commission for his evidence throughout the inquiry, and for his alleged shortcomings as the director of AWH.
AWH was reportedly spending tens of thousands of dollars in an effort to court parliamentary members to give it a $1 billion contract deal, between it and the NSW state owned Sydney Water company, an aspect that the Senator staunchly denied knowledge of in evidence.
Sinodinos was reportedly set to make $10-20 million if a deal between the AWH and the Sydney Water company went ahead.
When queried he said “I don’t remember” and “I don’t recall”, in advance of 50 times, when pressed about the payments.
In March, Sinodinos stepped down from his role as assistant treasurer, on the Abbott Government front bench, in the midst of the corruption inquiry and the federal Labor Party has been highly critical of him and Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has pressed the pair for answers.
“The prime minister should explain to Australians when we will have an assistant treasurer,” he said to Canberra reporters, earlier this week.
Despite the controversy embroiling the Abbott Government, Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey is adamant that Sinodinos will return to his frontbench position.
The Senator’s office rejected calls for comment by The Daily Telegraph into its investigation, but a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister told the newspaper that “Senator Sinodinos has been co-operating fully with the ICAC inquiry. ICAC is yet to report.”
Sinodinos is now expected to be called before another ICAC investigation, in August, into further inquiries about the AWH’s alleged involvement with the Sydney Water company. He will give evidence about his knowledge of alleged illegal donations made to the NSW Liberal Party, during his time as treasurer.
Source: The Daily Telegraph/ Herald Sun