City of Botany Bay Council – allegations concerning former chief financial officer (Operation Ricco)
The ICAC investigated allegations that former City of Botany Bay Council chief financial officer Gary Goodman, and other Council employees, dishonestly exercised official functions to obtain financial benefits for themselves and others by causing fraudulent payments of more than $4.2 million to be made by the Council through false invoicing to either themselves, or various entities. The ICAC also investigated allegations that Mr Goodman solicited and received payments as an inducement or reward for showing favourable treatment to contractors. It was also alleged that Mr Goodman and other Council employees dishonestly exercised official functions to obtain financial benefits for themselves and others by using Council resources.
In its report on the investigation, made public on 26 July 2017, the Commission makes findings of serious corrupt conduct against Mr Goodman and former Council officers, Marny Baccam, Malcom Foo and Lorraine Cullinane. The Commission also makes findings of serious corrupt conduct against contractors Keith Mark, Aleksa Subeski, Zoran Gajic, Joe Freitas, Sam Alexander, Lyndal Marshall, Robert Floudas and Siddick Hussein.
The ICAC is of the opinion that the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions should be obtained with respect to the prosecution of Mr Goodman, Mr Mark, Mr Subeski, Mr Gajic, Mr Alexander, Ms Baccam, Mr Foo, Mr Hussein, Suman Mishra and Ms Cullinanefor various offences.
The Commission has made eight recommendations to the now Bayside Council to prevent the type of conduct exposed in this investigation from recurring. The ICAC also recommends that the NSW Government should consider adopting a model of local council oversight that is comparable to that applicable to state government agencies.
