By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Property developer John Woodman has conceded a financial arrangement involving Cr Sam Aziz’s $600,000 in a suitcase looked like “corruption”, an IBAC hearing was told.
During the Operation Sandon inquiry, counsel assisting IBAC Michael Tovey asked Mr Woodman: “How do you now recognise that this conduct might be interpreted as?”
“As corruption, sir,” Mr Woodman said.
“It was never my intention to attempt to persuade anybody to take a course of action that they wouldn’t otherwise have taken through the provision of finances or of any action,” he added.
Cr Aziz had also proposed Mr Woodman buying Cr Aziz’s house in Berwick for $540,000 with Cr Aziz staying there rent-free, Mr Woodman said.
The amount was referred to in a document that Mr Woodman’s secretary tried to smuggle out – along with a copy of the loan contract – during a raid of his office by IBAC investigators, the hearing heard.
The document also referred to Cr Aziz’s ‘loan’ of $600,000 – which he brought in cash in a suitcase to Mr Woodman as a means of hiding money from his ex-wife.
According to IBAC’s analysis, Cr Aziz was given a $220,000 return on top of his loan, mostly within 10 months.
It was “an act of goodwill as a consequence of him and the council supporting my charity”, Mr Woodman said.
It included Mr Woodman’s company paying Cr Aziz’s $30,000 tax bill in February 2018 as well as $15,000 monthly “interest” payments.
In repaying the loan, money was transferred via the accounts of Cr Aziz’s mother and Cr Aziz’s then-fiance.
Some monies were also paid to settle with Cr Aziz’s ex-wife.
On 3AW on 20 November, Cr Aziz said that “two thirds” of the alleged $900,000 received from property developer John Woodman was the councillor’s own money.
He said he’d withdrawn the cash to stop his former wife from “quarantining or shutting down” money in his accounts.
He delivered it in a suitcase to Mr Woodman as an investment in mezzanine finance at a five per cent interest rate.
Mr Woodman conceded the loan interest payments were close to a 30 per cent annual rate.
Cr Aziz denied ever accepting a ‘bribe’ describing the allegations as “absolute nonsense.”
“I have never ever in my entire career of 35 years of public service to receive a bribe for anything.
“I would never accept it upon myself to receive a bribe.
“What I have done is acted in the best interests of my community.”
