JESSICA MARSZALEK
September 9, 2009
Former Queensland government frontbencher Gordon Nuttall took corrupt
payments from a businessman benefiting from state contracts while he was
industrial relations and health minister, court documents say.
Nuttall, 56, has faced five counts of official corruption, alternatively charged
as five counts of receipt or solicitation of a secret commission, in Brisbane
Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
He also faced five counts of perjury during the brief court appearance.
Nuttall was not required to enter a plea, and the matter was set down for a
committal mention on October 5.
Court papers allege Nuttall corruptly received sums of money from Brendan
John McKennariey between December 2001 and July 2005 while he was
industrial relations minister and later as health minister, the largest detailed
being a $10,000 payment in December 2001.
It's also alleged Nuttall gave false evidence during a closed Crime and
Misconduct Commission (CMC) hearing on September 28, 2006.
The court papers say Nuttall lied when he denied discussing Mr McKennariey's
business affairs with him and when he claimed he knew nothing of the
businessman's involvement with Central Queensland University and with
wastewater issues.
He also allegedly lied when he told the CMC hearing he did not know Mr
McKennariey and another man had been commissioned by the Industrial
Relations department to deliver training.
On the same day, Nuttall falsely testified that he had not received payments
of funds from any benefactors other than businessman Ken Talbot, the papers
say.
On laying the charges last month, the CMC said the alleged payments from Mr
McKennariey to Nuttall were made during a period when Mr McKennariey was
receiving funds as a subcontractor from two projects being undertaken with
the government.
The projects were a Workplace Health and Safety training program in
indigenous communities commissioned by the Department of Industrial Relations
in 2001 and a study on wastewater in hospitals commissioned by Queensland
Health in 2004 and 2005.
Outside the court, Nuttall's defence lawyer Neil Richardson said his client would
plead not guilty to all counts.
Asked whether Nuttall was confident he could beat the charges, Mr Richardson
said: "We're very confident, yes."
© 2009 AAP
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