In November 1989, the ABC program The 7:30 Report made a number of allegations concerning, amongst other things, the relationship between the land developer, Lewis Land Corporation Limited (Lewis Land) and the then State Government and an Alderman of the Council of the City of Gold Coast (Gold Coast City Council).
The Alderman, Lester Hughes, subsequently denied receipt of electoral assistance from the principal of that company Bernard Lewis in an article in the Gold Coast Bulletin. This denial was noted by Elaine Muriel Todd, a former employee of the media consultancy business Newton's Pty Ltd (Newton's). Todd believed she had contrary information and took it to a Gregory Rix, a director of a Gold Coast development company. Rix1 was a prominent public opponent of Harbourtown, a Lewis Land development proposal which had benefited from a controversial ministerial rezoning.
On 13 December 1989, Rix and his Solicitor, John Henderson, approached the office of the Special Prosecutor with this and other information. They claimed they had evidence that Gold Coast politicians and political candidates on the Gold Coast had submitted their accounts for election campaign expenses to Newton's. The accounts would be met by Newton's but from funds provided by Lewis Land. They claimed further that employees of Newton's were required to keep the fact of the payments secret.
This information was forwarded by the Office of the Special Prosecutor to Sir Max Bingham QC, then Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry previously chaired by Commissioner G E Fitzgerald QC.
After the necessary investigative resources became available in October 1990, preliminary inquiries were commenced to determine whether the evidence produced warranted further investigation.
During these preliminary inquiries, representations were made to the Commission that other land developers had contributed money to candidates for election to the Gold Coast City Council. It was claimed that payments had been made by the Raptis Group of Companies, as well as the Niecon Group of Companies.
This report was tabled in Parliament on 14 November 1991.
