FEDERAL MP Andrew Laming has accused Redland City councillor Lance Hewlett and his wife Sheena of failing to return an iPad, mishandling raffle funds and destroying pages in receipt books in a matter dating back to 2014.
Mr Laming made the accusations in Parliament in February, claiming the couple mismanaged funds, damaged property and destroyed financial records during their time at the Redlands LNP branch six years ago.
Cr Hewlett declined to comment on the claims, but Ms Hewlett rubbished the accusations, saying Mr Laming's behaviour was not right and he was using his parliamentary privilege to raise issues that had already been finalised.
In Parliament, Mr Laming said Cr Hewlett and his wife were chair and treasurer of the Redlands LNP branch in 2013/14 but resigned overnight after a failed preselection attempt.
"The Hewletts had financial control in those two years of the Redlands LNP branch, when between $6000 and $10,000 in raffle takings were minuted and even mentioned at the AGM but never banked," he told Parliament.
Mr Laming said financial records from that period were no longer available and when receipt books were returned, parts had been sliced out.
"A $1000 iPad was retained until after the election so it couldn't be used. Eventually it was left on a bin for recovery, and it turned out to be a 16G factory-wiped device with the serial number scratched off the back ... and all information deleted," he told Parliament.
Ms Hewlett said Mr Laming had brought these allegations up previously, always before an election to create a story in an attempt to make her husband look bad.
"We settled everything with the LNP over five years ago. If we hadn't they would've taken the issue up then," she said.
Ms Hewlett said all the property was handed back to the LNP head office with no issues or problems.
"The LNP were satisfied and everything was finalised. When it came to money, it never came to us, it all went to head office and transferred to a separate bank account ... an invoice was uploaded to the LNP head office," she said.
The Crime and Corruption Commission would neither confirm nor deny if it was investigating the matter.
Mr Laming told Parliament: "These matters come to light for one simple reason, and that is that Cr Hewlett has refused to answer any of these questions for four years. He has remained unchallenged in his division, but contrary to new legislation and to an unwritten understanding, he started supporting candidates who are his friends from his own suburb to run against his enemies in other divisions."
