Saturday, December 27, 2008

CCC's Mark Ingham in the witness box


Smith's Beach small part of Grill's business: lawyer Tom Percy QC

This excerpt is from an AAP news bulletin published on 28 October, 2008.

For legal reasons, comments cannot be published on the matter as Mr Grill's trial, before Magistrate Michael Wheeler, continues in January.

The CCC found Mr Grill and Mr Burke influenced or tried to influence public sector officers to engage in inappropriate conduct.

It made adverse findings against seven public officials over the Smith's Beach matter, but no criminal charges were laid.

From the AAP news bulletin article

Julian Grill, lobbyist and business partner of former premier Brian Burke made more than 1000 calls a month to clients and associates, a court heard.

Mr Grill made so many phone calls and emails from January 2006 to March 2007, when his phone was bugged, that every detail of the controversial Smiths Beach account could not be remembered, his lawyer Tom Percy says.

Mr Grill is on trial accused of giving false testimony to the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) over a proposed $330 million resort at Yallingup near Margaret River.

Prosecution counsel argue Mr Grill gave false evidence to the CCC in relation to his contact with the Department of Planning and Infrastructure's head of strategic planning Mike Allen.

Mr Percy today asked CCC investigator Mark Ingham if it were true that out of 900 emails sent by Mr Grill in 2006, only two referred to Smiths Beach.

``I don't know that,'' Mr Ingham said.

``A thousand calls a month, would you accept?'' Mr Percy asked.

``He was making an awful lot of phone calls,'' Mr Ingham said.

``I don't know that it was a thousand.

``Would you accept that the telephone intercepts that have been played to this court represent a very low percentage of the (total) calls that were intercepted?'' Mr Percy asked.

``I accept a very low percentage,'' Mr Ingham said.

``I think the total volume of documentation (on Smiths Beach) ... was three pages, was it not?'' Mr Percy asked.

``Yes, it was.'' “

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