The Liberal Party has questions to answer over whether payments made by disgraced former director Damien Mantach were hidden from its own financial auditors in an attempt to cover-up the credit card scandal.

“Claims that the failure to disclose the payments to the Electoral Commission was an administrative error need to be investigated,” Mr Green said.

“Premier Will Hodgman, as a member of the Liberal State Executive now as he was in 2008, has admitted he knew Party funds had been misappropriated and now must come clean on whether its auditors met their obligations.

“Mr Hodgman should stop instructing journalists not to ask him about the scandal and handball questions to other members of the party’s executive.

“Labor is now seeking legal advice as to the fiduciary responsibilities of Mr Hodgman and Senator Eric Abetz as members of the State Executive of the Liberal Party.”

“Who was responsible for the so-called administrative oversight?

“If the failure to disclose those payments was an administrative oversight, why wasn’t it picked up by the Liberal Party’s auditors?’

“It raises ethical as well as legal questions over whether the repayments made by Mr Mantach were deliberately withheld from the auditors given the strict guidelines for chartered accountants in relation to the failure to report criminal offences.

The Chartered Accounts Handbook states:

3.8 Failure to Report Criminal Offences
3.8.1 In dealing with a client’s affairs, a member may become aware of conduct
which may be unlawful or criminal in nature.
3.8.2 A member should be aware that, in failing to report the matter to the relevant
authorities or failing to act in a proper manner, the member may be liable to
prosecution. For example, as a consequence, the member may be accused of:
(a) Inciting a client to commit a criminal offence; or
(b) Helping or encouraging a client in the planning or execution of a criminal offence which is committed; or
(c) Concealing, destroying or fabricating evidence; or
(d) Misleading the police by statements which are known to be untrue.
Bryan Green MP Labor Leader