REDLAND City Mayor Karen Williams has taken the extraordinary step of referring herself to the state’s corruption watchdog in a bid to prove ongoing accusations of corruption and wrongdoing from critics are unfounded.
Cr Williams, along with the council itself, has come under fire from critics upset about the level of development happening across the city.
Claims have been made over several months, largely on social media, that the council and Mayor are not acting in the best interest of the city, have failed to follow due process and have favoured developers when making decisions.
Cr Williams said the comments were vicious and part of a politically motivated “smear campaign”.
“They have attacked me and officers by claiming we are corrupt, without any proof whatsoever,” she said.
“I have repeatedly invited anyone who has concerns about the operation of this council to take any evidence of inappropriate conduct to the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC).
“In light of their inaction and continuing defamation of dedicated officers, I have referred the accusations and previous claims made by these same people to the Commission, so we can have the issues dealt with once and for all and have our reputations, and that of Redland City, restored.”
Asked if the referral was little more than a political maneuver, Cr Williams said her primary motivation was not herself but rather council officers who were also being targeted.
She said council officers had always acted with professionalism and did not deserve to be “slandered” on social media.
“The hatred and vitriol on social media, I think, is something we have to start taking a stand on. It is not fair for the people who work here, many of whom live in the Redlands, to be subjected to that,” she said.
Cr Williams decided to refer herself to the CCC after council CEO Bill Lyon told her he could not refer the allegations being made because there was no evidence to support them.
How the Crime and Corruption Act defines corrupt conduct
Under the Crime and Corruption Act 2001, corrupt conduct is conduct by anyone that adversely affects a public agency or public official so that the performance of their functions or the exercise of their powers:
- is not honest or impartial, or
- knowingly or recklessly breaches public trust, or
- involves the misuse of agency-related information or material.
Corrupt conduct is engaged in for the purpose of providing a benefit to the person or another person, or causing a detriment to another person. In addition, the conduct must be serious enough that, if proved, would constitute a criminal offence or a disciplinary breach providing grounds for dismissal.
Under the Crime and Corruption Act, corrupt conduct includes an attempt or a conspiracy to engage in the conduct, as well as neglect, failure or inaction that adversely affects a public agency or official in the ways described above.
Common examples of corrupt conduct include fraud and theft, extortion, unauthorised release of information, obtaining or offering a secret commission and nepotism.
