ICAC raids homes of NSW Liberal members
The homes of past and present NSW Liberal Party members have been raided as part of an anti-corruption investigation.
Laptops and phones were seized during the raids conducted during the week by the NSWIndependent Commission Against Corruption(ICAC), NSW government sources confirmed to The Australian Financial Review.
Former NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said in March that the Liberal Party would look at the allegations and take “appropriate action”. Janie Barrett
The raids are believed to be linked to allegations Liberal MP Ray Williams raised under parliamentary privilege in June 2022, which then-premier Dominic Perrottet referred to the watchdog.
Mr Williams claimed several senior members of his party were paid “significant funds” to install new councillors on the Hills Shire Council who would be friendly to a Sydney developer.
The allegations sparked a parliamentary inquiry in the lead-up to the March 25 election that heard allegations a Liberal powerbroker sought to branch-stack federal deputy leader Sussan Ley’s electorate of Farrer in late 2020, in a ploy to take the seat for himself.
Several Liberal Party members successfully evaded being summonsed to give evidence to the inquiry before it was disbanded when writs were issued three weeks ahead of the election.
Mr Perrottet in March said the allegations tabled at the inquiry were being internally investigated.
“The Liberal Party will look at those matters and any wrongdoing that is found, if any, appropriate action will be taken,” he said.
On Sunday, a NSW Liberal Party official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak publicly said the party was furious that the ICAC Act precluded the people who were involved in the raids from speaking about the nature of the action.
– With AAP