Premier calls in corruption watchdog on state’s largest project
News of outlaw bikies having links to the state’s $15.4 billion Torrens to Darlington road project have led to calls for a minister to be sacked and the Premier taking extraordinary action.
SA Premier Peter Malinauskas has asked the Independent Commission Against Corruption to consider conducting an independent evaluation of the procurement, contracting and subcontracting processes on the Torrens to Darlington Project.
It comes after news emerged last week that a member of the outlaw Comanchero bikie gang was involved with court proceedings from a contractor working on the $15.4 billion mega project.
That contractor has since been removed from the project, but Opposition Leader Ashton Hurn on Friday called for Joe Szakacs to be sacked from the Infrastructure and Transport Minister portfolio over claims he knew about the issue before it emerged in the media.
The lawyer of Unley constituent and Career Boss Australia shareholder Robert Cammarano reportedly raised the concerns in the office of new Labor minister Alice Rolls on September 11.
The Premier today defended Szakacs saying he had “done the right thing” in referring the issue for investigation.
Today, he also announced the state government was “taking proactive steps to ensure the highest standards of integrity are maintained throughout the delivery of SA’s largest infrastructure project”.
You might like
“While no evidence has been presented to the government of organised crime accessing the Torrens to Darlington project, as a proactive and precautionary measure the Premier has requested the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) consider conducting an independent evaluation of the integrity safeguards governing procurement, contracting and subcontracting on the project,” he said.
The Premier said he had written to ICAC Commissioner Emma Townsend, requesting consideration of an independent evaluation.
“There is no evidence before the state government that organised crime has gained access to the Torrens to Darlington project. But given the scale and importance of this project, we have a responsibility to make sure the right safeguards are in place and working as they should,” Malinauskas said.
“That’s why I’ve written to ICAC to request the Commissioner consider an independent evaluation of the project’s procurement and contracting arrangements.
“My government will stop at nothing to ensure there are robust procedures in place and I’ve asked ICAC to look at this to provide me and the public with the highest level of confidence that we have the best systems in place.”
While not yet confirmed, an evaluation may examine due diligence processes for contractors and subcontractors, arrangements for identifying changes in business ownership after a contract has been awarded, safeguards against improper influence by organised crime and the effectiveness of ongoing monitoring arrangements across the department.
Stay informed, daily
ICAC must independently determine whether or not it will undertake the evaluation.
“If there are opportunities to strengthen those arrangements, we want to know about them and act on them,” the Premier said.
“South Australia has been fortunate not to witness the sort of behaviour on major projects that has been seen on the eastern seaboard.
“I’m determined to keep it that way.”
The Premier also told ABC Radio that “I have received no advice” that there were problems connected with the new $3.2 billion Women’s and Children’s Hospital project.
Hurn wanted more questions answered particularly about the information passed on at the September 11 meeting between Szakacs’ chief of staff, saying on ABC Radio there were concerns that the government was operating “under a cloud of secrecy”.
From what documents appeared to reveal was that the meeting included Child Protection Minister Alice Rolls.
Hurn said the Premier had been missing in action and while “ringing in the ICAC is of course welcome but it’s certainly not a get-out-of-jail-free card”.
There were questions about what Minister Szakacs knew about the project and all contracts needed to be assessed, Hurn said.
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
