The Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) has finished its assessment of information relating to dealings between the Deputy Premier Mr Jeff Seeney and Mr Clive Palmer in 2012.
In June 2014, Mr Seeney provided information to the former Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) alleging that Mr Palmer and his private company had tried to corruptly influence Mr Seeney while seeking approval of a development proposal in the Galilee Basin including a rail corridor and port facilities at Abbot Point. Mr Palmer denied there was any truth to these allegations.
When the CCC receives a referral, it first assesses the matter to determine whether it is in the CCC’s jurisdiction and, if so, whether a CCC investigation is warranted.
The CCC has assessed the information provided by Mr Seeney and other material and determined that the allegations are within the CCC’s jurisdiction, however, the CCC will not investigate this matter.
The CCC determined the prospects of proving any allegations of corrupt conduct to the requisite criminal standard were limited due to conflicting versions of events, the lack of corroborating evidence and the time that has passed. The CCC concluded that any investigation was unlikely to be conclusive or to produce any evidence to the criminal standard. The CCC therefore determined not to investigate this matter.
This decision was made by the CCC’s Corruption Assessment Committee and endorsed unanimously by the Commission at a meeting today.
The CCC has informed the relevant parties of its decision.
The CCC has also determined Mr Seeney did not breach the Crime and Misconduct Act (2001) by not referring his allegations to the CMC in 2012.
Under the Crime and Misconduct Act (2001), a nominated person known as a ‘public official’ in each public sector agency was obliged to report any suspicion of official misconduct. Members of Parliament and members of the Executive are not ‘public officials’ as defined in the Crime and Misconduct Act (2001) or the recently amended Crime and Corruption Act (2001). Mr Seeney was therefore under no legal obligation to refer his allegations to the CMC in 2012.
The matter is now closed and the CCC will take no further action.
ENDS
