Crime and Corruption Commission chairman Alan MacSporran.Credit:Lucy Stone
The discontinued charges related to allegations the group worked to sack former chief executive Sharon Kelsey after she raised concerns about the council in October 2017,months after her June appointment,thus defrauding her of her contracted salary set to expire in June this year.
After calls from Local Government Association of Queensland chief executive Greg Hallam for him to step aside while an inquiry could look into the actions of the commission,Mr MacSporran said the CCC had acted within the law at all times.
“There can be no legitimate claim or criticism that the CCC had no jurisdiction to investigate,or that it was misconceived or somehow inappropriate,to charge these individuals,” Mr MacSporran said in a statement released late on Wednesday.
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“The Queensland community expects a strong,independent agency to investigate allegations of corruption ...[the dropping of charges] will not deter this agency from investigating serious allegations of corrupt conduct,and where warranted,placing people before the courts.”
Mr MacSporran said a public interest disclosure from Ms Kelsey,who had a legal obligation to report corruption allegations,was serious in nature and was “without doubt” firmly in the watchdog’s jurisdiction.
CCC lawyers,along with a seconded police officer and Mr MacSporran himself,reviewed the evidence and took the view there were reasonable prospects of conviction and the charges were in the public interest,he said.