Former NSW Sport Minister John Sidoti found corrupt by ICAC

NSW Parliamentarian and former NSW Minister for Sport John Sidoti has been found to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct by using his position to influence local councillors to benefit his family’s property interests.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) announced this morning that the MP for the NSW electorate of Drummoyne tried to improperly influence City of Canada Bay Liberal councillors between late 2013 and early 2017.

Advising that it is seeking advice from the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions on whether any criminal prosecution should be commenced, ICAC advised in a statement “the Commission is of the opinion that consideration should be given to obtaining the advice of the DPP with respect to the prosecution of Mr Sidoti for the offence of misconduct in public office.”

The ICAC held a public inquiry in April last year investigating whether Sidoti, who was formerly in the Liberal Party but now sits on the crossbench, had misused his position as a Member of the NSW Parliament.

The inquiry focused on Sidoti’s lobbying to rezone blocks in the Sydney suburb of Five Dock where his parents owned property, despite experts finding it was not in the public interest. It also examined if Sidoti breached public trust by failing to disclose pecuniary interests between 2011 and 2019.

Over four weeks, the Commission heard evidence from former Liberal councillors, Liberal figure Joe Tannous, town planners linked to Sidoti, his accountant and his wife.

None of the witnesses were being investigated by the inquiry.

Sidoti has rejected allegations he fostered a 'master-servant' relationship with councillors and threatened their jobs if they did not vote in favour of his family’s agenda. He also denied that he sought to dislodge councillors from preselection as retribution.

Serving as NSW Minister for Sport from April 2019 to March 2021, Sidoti was sidelined from the frontbench for almost 18 months while the ICAC did a preliminary investigation.

He moved to the crossbench in March last year amid the corruption inquiry, issuing a statement that he “absolutely rejected” the allegations against him, but was concerned his presence in the Liberal party room could be a “distraction”.