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Mr Hanger is among witnesses giving evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption,which is examining whether Ms Berejiklian breached the public trust or encouraged corrupt conduct during her relationship with Mr Maguire.

The inquiry is focused on the administration of two grants in Mr Maguire’s electorate:the Australian Clay Target Association and the Riverina Conservatorium of Music.

Ms Berejiklian is yet to give evidence and has strenuously denied any allegations of wrongdoing. She is expected to appear for two full days next Thursday and Friday.

Former staffers of Ms Berejiklian,Mr Maguire and former Deputy Premier John Barilaro have also been named on a witness list for next week.

The confirmation of the inquiry into Ms Berejiklian’s dealings prompted her immediate resignation as the state’s 45th premier last month,as well as her exit from State Parliament altogether.

Mr Hanger on Thursday said he first recalled seeing a funding request for the gun club when it was given indicative approval at a meeting of the government’s expenditure review committee in December 2016.

At the time Ms Berejiklian was the NSW treasurer and therefore the chairwoman of the ERC.

The ICAC has previously heard evidence from other bureaucrats that then-minister for sport Stuart Ayres had urgently requested the funding submission to come before the ERC before the end of that year.

Mr Ayres is not accused of any wrongdoing and will give evidence as a witness on Friday.

Mr Hanger said that,while government agencies considered the business case for the gun club funding unsatisfactory and the bureaucracy did not support it,it clearly had a high level of political support.

An early business case for the project gave it an estimated benefit-to-cost ratio of below one,making it too low to justify state agency Infrastructure NSW backing the plan. The ratio determines whether the benefits to the state of spending money on a particular project outweigh the cost of doing so.

Mr Hanger said he was directed through the office of then-deputy premier John Barilaro to revisit the business case to improve the ratio,although he believed the request originated in Ms Berejiklian’s office.

“My understanding at that time was that the interest was out of the premier’s office. But it was clear to us that we needed to look at that business case again. And that’s ultimately what happened.”

Mr Hanger said he had a range of conversations at the time that indicated the premier’s office was “particularly interested in this particular project”.

He pointed to the way in which the project proposal had come forward and “the speed at which we needed to procure business case”.

Mr Hanger,who is now a deputy secretary in the Department of Regional NSW,is also giving evidence about a $30 million grant for the Riverina Conservatorium of Music,which is also the subject of the ICAC inquiry.

The inquiry continues.

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