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| Icac: Eddie Obeid denies he advocated for decision on AWH | Icac: Eddie Obeid denies he advocated for decision on AWH |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Former Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid has told a corruption inquiry he rang then New South Wales premier Kristina Keneally about a water company his son worked for – and which could have made the family millions – to make sure she made a decision “based on merit”. | Former Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid has told a corruption inquiry he rang then New South Wales premier Kristina Keneally about a water company his son worked for – and which could have made the family millions – to make sure she made a decision “based on merit”. |
| The Independent Commission Against Corruption is investigating Australian Water Holdings (AWH) and its efforts to enter a private-public partnership (PPP) which, the inquiry has heard, would have made the Obeid family tens of millions of dollars and Arthur Sinodinos up to $20m. | The Independent Commission Against Corruption is investigating Australian Water Holdings (AWH) and its efforts to enter a private-public partnership (PPP) which, the inquiry has heard, would have made the Obeid family tens of millions of dollars and Arthur Sinodinos up to $20m. |
| Obeid took to the witness box on Wednesday to answer questions about allegations he tried to personally intervene multiple times with different premiers and ministers to have the PPP approved, despite Sydney Water opposing it. | Obeid took to the witness box on Wednesday to answer questions about allegations he tried to personally intervene multiple times with different premiers and ministers to have the PPP approved, despite Sydney Water opposing it. |
| Obeid said earlier reports he had called Sydney Water’s former chief Kerry Schott a “bitch” and told then-water minister Phillip Costa to sack her were “taken out of context”. | |
| He also contradicted Keneally’s earlier testimony by saying he rang her to discuss AWH in 2010 but did not advocate for a particular decision to be made. | |
| “I wouldn’t do that to a minister or a premier. They’ve got to work it out with their staff and department,” he said. | “I wouldn’t do that to a minister or a premier. They’ve got to work it out with their staff and department,” he said. |
| He said he rang because there were rumours about his son’s involvement with AWH and he did not want that to affect the decision on the PPP. | He said he rang because there were rumours about his son’s involvement with AWH and he did not want that to affect the decision on the PPP. |
| “The decision should be decided on its merit,” Obeid said he told Keneally. “I told her that my son worked there and Libs worked there and this issue should not be based on what political associations there were and I wanted to make it clear to her that the issue should be decided on its merits.” | “The decision should be decided on its merit,” Obeid said he told Keneally. “I told her that my son worked there and Libs worked there and this issue should not be based on what political associations there were and I wanted to make it clear to her that the issue should be decided on its merits.” |
| His son Eddie Obeid Jr worked for the company and the commission has previously heard the Obeid family invested $3m in AWH in 2011. | His son Eddie Obeid Jr worked for the company and the commission has previously heard the Obeid family invested $3m in AWH in 2011. |
| “He was working for the family, as far as I was concerned,” Obeid said when asked when he became aware his son was working for AWH. He said he was aware his son had loaned $3m to the company and denied knowledge of a plan to acquire shares. | “He was working for the family, as far as I was concerned,” Obeid said when asked when he became aware his son was working for AWH. He said he was aware his son had loaned $3m to the company and denied knowledge of a plan to acquire shares. |
| Keneally earlier told Icac Obeid rang her to advocate for the PPP and told her Sydney Water was “frustrating” the process. | |
| Costa told Icac on Tuesday Obeid had told him to “sack the bitch” in reference to Schott when they ran into each other in the parliament and Obeid had begun lobbying him about AWH within a month of Costa becoming water minister. | |
| Obeid denied saying “sack the bitch” and said the comment had been taken out of context. | |
| “It was after a budget committee meeting and I observed Kerry Schott did not help a new minister in Phillip Costa whatsoever and I believe she hung him out to dry and I was very offended,” Obeid said. | |
| “... I told him managing directors are sacked for that sort of behaviour.” | |
| Obeid said Costa didn’t have “the guts to sack a tea lady”. | |
| He said he recruited Costa to the party and when asked if he made Keneally premier he replied: "Well she knows that, I'll leave it between us." | |
| Obeid said he had no knowledge of an arrangement to buy $3m worth of shares in AWH which could have potentially made the family between $60m and $100m according to different witnesses who have appeared at the commission. | |
| Instead he said his son had loaned AWH chief executive and family friend Nick di Girolamo $3m. | |
| Counsel assisting the commission, Geoffrey Watson, SC, closed his evidence by accusing Obeid of fabricating almost his entire testimony. | |
| “You were motivated by nothing more than just personal greed to try and secure an improper outcome," Watson said. | |
| Obeid responded: "That's your version and it's rubbish." | |
| Obeid said he arranged meetings with ministers for AWH chief executive Nick Di Girolamo but did not advocate for a positive outcome for AWH. | Obeid said he arranged meetings with ministers for AWH chief executive Nick Di Girolamo but did not advocate for a positive outcome for AWH. |
| “Every citizen in NSW is entitled to see a minister if it warrants it,” he said. |