The former Member for Redcliffe, Scott Driscoll, was today sentenced in the Brisbane District Court to a six-year custodial sentence and will not be eligible for parole for at least 18-months following convictions for fraud, soliciting secret commissions and falsifying records.
In April 2013, the then Crime and Misconduct Commission commenced a cooperative investigation known as Operation Westward with the Queensland Police Service (QPS) into allegations of official misconduct and fraud.
The CMC focused its investigation on the then Member for Redcliffe. The QPS focused on other individuals.
Mr Driscoll was charged by the CCC in October 2014 and he subsequently pleaded guilty to a number of criminal offences before the trial commenced.
Operation Westward was a complex corruption investigation conducted by a team of dedicated CCC officers.
Elected officials must act in the public interest at all times and avoid actual or perceived conflicts of interests.
The sentence handed down in the District Court today should serve as a reminder to elected officials and public servants in Queensland that they are not immune from criminal prosecution when their conduct does not serve the public interest and breaks the law.
This case highlights the value of the CCC, an independent agency which aims to ensure public sector corruption is investigated and those who commit criminal offences are placed before the courts.
AJ MacSporran QC
CCC Chairperson
ENDS
