Former Logan mayor Luke Smith has admitted to a number of Crime and Corruption Commission charges, including misconduct in public office, five years after he was arrested by the state's corruption watchdog.
Timothy Luke Smith was due to face trial in the Brisbane District Court this week, and again in August, but both matters were delisted, and he was arraigned on three charges instead.
On Tuesday he pleaded guilty to one count each of misconduct in relation to public office and failing in his obligation to update his register of interests.
Smith was also facing one count of official corruption, but instead pleaded guilty to the alternative charge of receiving a secret commission by an agent.
The court heard this charge related to Smith corruptly receiving a boat in Woolgoolga in New South Wales from a party trying to influence his position in council between July 2016 and September 2016.
A committal hearing had previously heard Smith had allegedly agreed to purchase the boat from a political donor, in return for his support to progress a development approval of a hotel and influence council in changing building height restrictions.
The ABC was first to reveal the charge, and its link to the gifting of a boat, in March 2018.
The court heard the misconduct charge took place between June and July 2017 and involved him using his influence in council to favour the recruitment process of the council's director Jane Frawley to benefit her.
Between August 2016 and September 2017, Smith had deliberately not disclosed to the council chief executive officer of a matter of interest within the required reporting period of 30 days, which constitutes the third charge.
Smith, who is on bail, is also facing another charge and a decision will be made this week on whether this will proceed to trial.
He will return to court on Thursday for a sentencing hearing.
