Paul Pisasale, the former mayor of Ipswich, has vowed to fight charges including extortion after being granted bail in the Brisbane magistrates court on Wednesday.
Pisasale, 65, until recently one of Australia’s most popular mayors, had spent a night in custody after his arrest by officers of Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission.
After appearing in the dock barefoot and wearing a prison-issue brown tracksuit, he told reporters outside the court: “I hope the perpetrators behind this are brought to justice.”
The police prosecutor, Matt Kahler, had opposed bail, tendering a “lengthy” statement by the arresting officer.
But deputy chief magistrate, Terry Gardiner, granted bail on conditions including that Pisasale not contact witnesses, travel overseas and that he surrender his passport. The magistrate ordered details in the hearing to be suppressed.
Pisasale, well-known during his political career for courting publicity to spruik his city, did not look to the court gallery and the large media contingent.
But he told reporters on leaving the watchhouse with his lawyer, Glen Cranny, he would “of course” contest the charges against him, including one count of extortion.
Pisasale thanked the media for “showing up” to the hearing.
“All my life people know that I’ve fought for Ipswich, that I’ve fought for fair, and I’m going to continue to do that,” he said. “So I’m waiting for due process to happen.”
Pisasale said his situation “would be a worrying time for anybody but the most important thing is to deal with it and deal with it properly”.
Pisasale, who has multiple sclerosis, said he was on his way to a doctor’s appointment and also thanked medical staff at St Andrew’s hospital in Ipswich and New Farm Clinic “for looking after me”.
He is due to reappear in court on 17 July.
