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July 15th, 2013 
A NSW mayor and councillors are being investigated over allegations of corruption and threats against a senior manager, including leaking an IT report which showed he had accessed pornography on a council computer.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is investigating several City of Ryde councillors, including Jeffery Salvestro-Martin who was on Monday disendorsed as the federal Labor candidate for Bennelong as a result of his involvement in the inquiry.
The ALP national executive said it was not making a judgment about the ICAC investigation, but it was no longer viable to endorse Mr Salvestro-Martin.
He left the inquiry without speaking to media after the ICAC heard that leaks and threats were used against council general manager John Neish by councillors including former Mayor Ivan Petch, who were trying to delay a development proposal.
Counsel assisting the inquiry Jason Downing said there was no suggestion Mr Neish had done anything illegal by accessing porn.
The information initially came from an IT worker, but Mr Petch’s role in it being made public will be central to the inquiry, Mr Downing said in his opening statement on Monday.
“I expect that there will be some evidence to suggest that Councillor Petch in fact deliberately leaked information … and did so because of personal animosity towards (Mr Neish),” Mr Downing said.
Mr Neish said he had a difficult working relationship with Mr Petch.
“I think I once described it as dysfunctional,” Mr Neish told ICAC.
ICAC is also investigating whether Mr Petch offered Mr Neish job security for delaying a proposed redevelopment of council land.
Mr Neish told the commission he was approached by a real estate agent in April 2012 on behalf of Mr Petch, then a councillor who was aiming to win the mayoral chains in the upcoming election.
Six other councillors, including Mr Salvestro-Martin, also knew of the meeting.
Mr Neish said real estate agent and local commerce chamber president Tony Abboud suggested he write a report advocating a community review panel which would delay the redevelopment of council-owned land into a residential area with about 600 units.
The information about the porn was only made public after Mr Neish refused to write the report.
Mr Abboud also requested other development assessments be “speeded up,” on behalf of property developer John Goubran, Mr Neish said.
“He also suggested that if I was to do these things my employment would be secure after the elections,” he told the inquiry.
ICAC will also examine allegations that six councillors, including Mr Salvestro-Martin, received undisclosed political donations in the form of election advertising.
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