Police Minister Mike Gallacher steps down after ICAC hears he was in ‘corrupt scheme’ with Nathan Tinkler
NSW Police Minister Mike Gallacher has resigned from cabinet after a corruption inquiry heard he hatched a “corrupt scheme” with Nathan Tinkler’s property development group to receive illegal donations.
In a development that sent shockwaves through the Baird government, the Independent Commission Against Corruption heard on Friday that Mr Gallacher was intimately involved in setting up a scheme for Buildev to pay tens of thousands of dollars in illegal donations to a Liberal Party slush fund.
Premier Mike Baird said in a statement that he had accepted Mr Gallacher’s resignation from the ministry.
“I make no judgement regarding those allegations. However, it could take considerable time for them to be resolved, and this would constitute an unacceptable distraction for my government,” Mr Baird said.
“We need to be completely focussed on delivering results for the community.”
The inquiry was shown June 2010 emails in which Buildev executives Darren Williams and David Sharpe discussed which company should be used to funnel the illegal donations into the slush fund, a “sham business” called Eightbyfive set up by a staffer to former Liberal minister Chris Hartcher.
• Des, in Comments: These three links will bring you up to speed on ICAC, whilst the adjournment until August occurs, until the next round brings the feds into the spotlight
