Disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire lied about his expected cut of a $48 million property after recorded calls revealed he asked a contact to push for a higher commission, a court has been told.

The former member for Wagga Wagga – whose clandestine relationship with ex-NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian helped lead to her political downfall – is facing one charge of giving misleading evidence to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption in July 2018.

A three-day hearing that began in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court today was played a covertly recorded phone call between Maguire and then-Canterbury councillor Michael Hawatt from May 2016.

Maguire could be heard telling Hawatt he had a buyer interested in major residential developments, which the court heard was a Chinese-owned company, Country Garden.

“Can you do me a favour, I need a few things to feed my friends,” the Liberal politician said in the call.

“What have you got on your books? Have you got anything DA-approved?”

The pair then discussed a particular development in Campsie, in Sydney’s inner south-west, before Maguire asked: “What’s the margin in it for you?”

The development involved 300 units priced at up to $160,000 each, the court heard, which the pair calculated equalled a total sale of $48 million.

Hawatt said he expected to receive up to two per cent of the proceeds for selling the units on behalf of property developer Charbel Demian.

“That’s alright. That’s better than nothing,” Maguire said in the call.

“It’s a quick f—— sale. My client is mega big and has got mega money.”

Hawatt then suggested the commission might be as high as three per cent, an amount Maguire urged him to pursue.

“1.5 per cent isn’t enough divided by two, if you know what I’m talking about,” Maguire said.

Prosecutors allege these statements were evidence Maguire was expecting to be paid and his later denials to ICAC were misleading enough to have a material impact on its investigation.

“The evidence demonstrates that Mr Maguire believed that he and Mr Hawatt would share a commission if they identified property that could be purchased by Country Garden,” prosecutor Phil Hogan told the court.

The recording of the call was made by ICAC under Operation Dasha, which probed allegations of corruption at the local council and whether then-councillors dishonestly exercised their official functions over planning proposals and applications.

Maguire resigned from NSW parliament in 2018 after a separate ICAC investigation, which also led to his secret romantic relationship with Berejiklian coming to light.

She also stood down from her role and was later found by ICAC to have breached public trust in failing to disclose the relationship.

Speaking outside court before today’s hearing, Maguire said he continued to deny the allegations of misleading ICAC and maintained his plea of not guilty.

“It’s nearly seven years since I was invited by ICAC to give evidence as a witness and not as a person of interest,” he said.

“I’ve always maintained that I did not give misleading evidence.

“My legal team will be putting my case to the magistrate.”

The hearing continues.

Source Credit: 9 News Sydney