" Charges " - At Last !

For three long years the creaking wheels of justice at ICAC have been investigating claims that ministers holding portfolios in the New South Wales government manipulated the tender process to enrich themselves and their families.  It was claimed that the rewards were staggering.   The issue of a coal mining license, in secret and without competitive tendering - delivered dividends between seventy-five and a hundred million dollars - and that was money that rightfully belonged to the people of this state.

What has enraged many is the growing inference that the bandits are going to get away with their crimes.   No visits from the police.   Nobody led away in handcuffs.  These are wealthy people who are still flaunting their wealth.  Driving luxury cars.  Eating at this city's top end restaurants - and still free to squirrel their money away to where ICAC will have trouble accessing it.

Finally, ICAC has ended it's silence and announced that charges will be laid - but on the grounds of "misconduct in public office "- and not on those immense profitable deals that involved mining licenses, but on the extension of a lease for Circular Quay restaurants.   These were secretly held by nominees in Eddie OBeids family and were not subjected to a competitive tender, as required by due process.

It was all a sordid tale of sheer greed.   Politicians are well paid to represent us in parliament but ministers and union leaders conspired together to  enrich themselves by robbing the people of New South Wales.  It is interesting to compare how justice is served at both ends of the social scale.

This week an 86 year old man was bashed and robbed of his pension money.  Within hours the perpetrators - a man and two women - were arrested, cuffed and taken to a police station and charged. Bail was refused - and they will shortly face a magistrate - and learn their fate.  Happily, the public chipped in and donated the stolen money so the old victim was reimbursed of the five hundred dollars he lost.

It is a very different story when the offender is a person of substance - and has connections. Literally - years can roll by while the investigators sift through evidence and decisions pass up the chain to the highest level before any action is taken.   There is a suspicion that ICAC might have been prodded to speed things up because we are due to have a state election next March - and just in case the public is starting to forget the criminality of the last Labor government - this coming court action will be nicely timed to keep the memory refreshed.

All of these matters are merely "accusations "until they are decided in court, and that will be "theatre "that will absorb the media for months.    Those accused are entitled to the presumption of innocence.  There seems no possibility that any of those involved will spend time on remand behind bars.   These will be very "civilized "proceedings, and it will be interesting to see whether the defendants choose to be tried before a judge alone - or take their chances with a jury.

The public has every right to demand to know what action has been taken to make sure that this form of corruption can not happen again.    There must be limits on how much any minister can "bend the rules " and ICAC was formed initially as the state's watchdog against this very same sort of corruption.

Perhaps a need to ensure that the watchdog is not constrained by too short a length of chain !