A businessman with links to former Liberal MP Stuart Robert will not face a parliamentary committee inquiry because he has “severed all ties” with Australia, his lawyer says.
The joint committee of public accounts and audit (JCPAA) is investigating how government contracts are awarded. It has heard allegations – which Robert strenuously denies – that lobbying firm Synergy 360 proposed a structure that would benefit Robert financially.
Robert has rejected the allegation “in the strongest possible terms” and says there is “zero evidence” for it.
Robert’s associate, John Margerison, was due to face a hearing into procurement at Services Australia and the National Disability Insurance Agency on Friday. On Monday, the committee chair, Julian Hill, said the relevant part of the hearing could no longer go ahead after Margerison’s lawyer told the committee he now lived overseas, had severed all ties with Australia and considers himself outside parliament’s jurisdiction.
The committee was told in June that under the arrangement discussed, 20% of Synergy 360 former executive director Kham Xaysavanh’s shares would be transferred to United Marketing, an entity controlled by Margerison.
Xaysavanh’s former personal and business partner, Anthony Daly, alleged it would have been designed “to facilitate the flow of funds through United Marketing and onward to Stuart Robert”.
“The main objective of this arrangement was to secure Stuart Robert’s involvement and support in acquiring federal government contracts,” Daly said in a statement to the committee.
The government services minister, Bill Shorten, said in parliament in June that the committee had heard evidence from Margerison that he had told his accountant to direct Synergy 360 profits to a trust to which Robert was a beneficiary.
Robert said he had “never part-owned any company that ever received anything from Synergy 360”.
On Monday, Margerison’s lawyer did not say where his client was. Hill said the committee would consider the lawyer’s letter at its next meeting and that Margerison’s whereabouts was “a matter of great mystery”.
“That Mr Margerison’s lawyer now claims he has left and severed all ties with Australia is a somewhat surprising turn of events indeed,” he said.
“The committee will make findings based on the evidence before it. It remains within the JCPAA’s power to recommend referrals to other investigative bodies with additional resources and powers.”
Robert retired from his Gold Coast seat of Fadden, causing a 15 July byelection that was won by Liberal Cameron Caldwell.
