Even More ICAC Stories: HERE
Later Story 31 Aug 2016: ICAC Report – Operation Spicer
Check Newspaper links below – Updated Regularly……..!
“Could a pair of fake breasts have triggered a saga that changes forever the powers of the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption?”
Opinion: (Updated to 20 February 2016)
An article in the Sydney Morning Herald today, by-lined by two respected journalists, who we came to know well for their coverage of the ICAC hearings, is of great concern to those of us who are still waiting for some action to be taken by the prosecutors on the alleged corruption revealed in the hearings in the Commission early in 2014.
The irony of the situation is that the strident critics of the Commission and its methods can’t seem to see that the style of the investigation and the following interrogation is the very reason for it’s success. Under traditional investigation methods the police have been unable or unwilling to bring this stuff to light or prosecution, ever.
The methods used were very effective in rooting out corruption and anyone that is called to a public hearing after being investigated and interviewed, can rest assured that they are there to either be exposed themselves or to nail somebody else.The Commission already has the evidence, or you would not have been called. When you are being grilled by Geoffrey Watson SC there is nowhere to hide behind some fancy expensive lawyer, you have to answer the questions personally, if you are caught lying you can get 5 years for contempt. (This still did not deter some!) Despite being extensively coached before the hearings, most did a fine job of incriminating themselves or suffered massive self inflicted amnesia, and are now bleating that it was all so unfair.
A lot of top silks are not happy about not being able to protect their high profile, high paying clients and not getting away with much in the rulings from a very firm commissioner. This has split the legal fraternity down the middle.
So now the whole future of the ICAC itself has become bogged down in politics and the farcical situation of the lawyers all taking sides and scrapping all the way to the High Court among themselves. Meanwhile the likes of Eddie O’bead and Co. are laughing at the mess the system has got itself into and still living high on the hog. O’bead has boasted publicly that because of the way the system works he is confident that he will never be convicted of anything. Unfortunately when you read this article and the puerile legal shenanigans that are being played out, he may well be proven correct.
Meanwhile in the real world we have already had a State election and now have a Federal election and a Council election coming up next year and none of this looks like being resolved before that or maybe ever. Disgraceful! The law really is an ass……
Dick Appleby, TRRA Inc. Media Officer
Sydney Morning Herald 11 December 2015: Car crash and fake boobs make Margaret Cunneen’s battle with ICAC great fodder for Sydney shock jocks
More Legal Farce:
Do these people have any idea of how silly this all sounds to rational ,thinking people that are not in the legal fraternity? Are these legal eagles are in a self constructed bubble that has no relationship with reality in the real world?
Inspector Levine – Commissioner Latham
More from ICAC, as it happens:
Sydney Morning Herald 20 March 2017: Obeid family hit with multimillion-dollar bill over ‘irresponsible’ ICAC lawsuit
Sydney Morning Herald 03 Aug 2016: Inspector David Levine’s call for ICAC exoneration protocol ‘misunderstands justice system’
ABC News 28 June 2016: Eddie Obeid found guilty of misconduct in public office while member of NSW Upper House
Sydney Morning Herald 23 June 2016: Opposition Leader Luke Foley’s budget reply speech: pledge to restore ICAC funding
ABC News 06 June 2016: Vote Compass: Australians want a federal corruption watchdog, even though major parties don’t
Sydney Morning Herald 04 June 2016: Baird budget cuts spark ICAC ‘funding crisis’
Sydney Morning Herald 15 May 2016 -Editorial: ICAC must be allowed to continue its good work in public
Sydney Morning Herald 15 May 2016: The ICAC is there to serve the public, not protect reputations
Sydney Morning Herald 12 May 2016: ICAC inspector David Levine pushes for end to public hearings
Financial review 05 Feb 2016: Behind the plot to kill ICAC (Must Read)
Sydney Morning Herald 24 March 2016: Liberal donations scandal highlights ICAC’s important work
Sydney Morning Herald 18 March 2016: ICAC inspector David Levine has clear bias, says Commissioner Megan Latham
Sydney Morning Herald 14 March 2016: Inspector says ICAC risks perception it is ‘craving to sacrifice reputations’
Sydney Morning Herald 14 March 2016: Margaret Cunneen attacks ICAC and its ‘media punishers’
Sydney Morning Herald 06 March 2016: ICAC not a rogue agency
Sydney Morning Herald 01 March 2016: ‘Problem’ emerges in plan to enlist Margaret Cunneen in Eddie Obeid’s ICAC battle
Sydney Morning Herald 18 Feb 2016 – Editorial: Cunneen vs the ICAC: play the tape
Sydney Morning Herald 17 Feb 2016: ‘Do you know what you are doing?’ Hazzard fails to rule out call to ICAC barrister
ABC News 17 Feb 2016: Calls for Brad Hazzard to stand aside amid claims he may have meddled in the ICAC’s inquiry into Margaret Cunneen
Sydney Morning Herald 17 Feb 2016: Margaret Cunneen a ‘special guest’ at Fred Nile political fundraiser
ABC News 15 Feb 2016: Brad Hazzard faces questioning over his involvement in ICAC’s Margaret Cunneen probe
Sydney Morning Herald 15 Feb 2016: Cunneen laywers want inquiry MPs to affirm they did not leak phone tap transcript
Sydney Morning Herald 15 Feb 2016: Inquiry to decide on release of secret Cunneen tapes
Sydney Morning Herald 13 Feb 2016 – Opinion: Why NSW Parliament must publish the Margaret Cunneen tapes
Sydney Morning Herald 13 Feb 2016: Shadow of ICAC hangs over Macquarie Street – again – as Parliament returns
Sydney Morning Herald 12 Feb 2016: The ICAC tapes: Margaret Cunneen said she had sent a message to Sophia Tilley about chest pains (Go to Bottom of page…….!)
Sydney Morning Herald 27 Jan 2016: Parliamentary committee chair Damien Tudehope quizzes ICAC chief Megan Latham before inquiry
Sydney Morning Herald 21 Jan 2016: NSW ICAC clears Arthur Sinodinos over corruption claims
Sydney Morning Herald 08 Jan 2016: ICAC Powers Clarified, Baird must now establish a parliamentary investigator
Sydney Morning Herald 20 December 2015: ICAC ‘cannot’ find Mike Gallacher and other Liberal MPs corrupt in donations probe
Sydney Morning Herald Dec 09 2015: The ICAC must be allowed to get back to business
Sydney Morning Herald 13 November 2015: The one issue on which Mike Baird refuses to back ICAC
Sydney Morning Herald 4 April 2015: Stakes high for Mike Baird and Megan Latham over ICAC’s future
ABC News 30 October 2014: ICAC to investigate deputy senior crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen for allegedly coaching witness
For more on the ICAC Investigations, Type ‘ICAC’ into the search engine at the top of the right side bar…… We will try to keep this page updated with further developments……………….
WTF??