Carr threatens council with jail over Ngo links

Monica Videnieks, The Australian, 9 Mar 2002

The fallout from the jail party co-hosted by political assassin Phuong Ngo escalated yesterday when the federal and NSW governments both announced investigations into Ngo’s influence outside state prison.

The Carr government yesterday announced that officials would investigate whether Ngo had improper influence over his former colleagues on Fairfield city council, in Sydney’s west, and Mr Carr warned of possible criminal proceedings. Minister for Local Government Harry Wood announced that three Fairfield Councillors who visited Ngo in prison a total of 14 times had accepted his invitation to attend the lunch party in Long Bay jail.

Fairfield Mayor Anwar Khoshaba and independent Fairfield councillors Maria Heggie and Thang Ngo supported the inquiry after claims that Ngo may have influenced some controversial development decisions.

A the same time, a federal inquiry was announced to investigate whether the NSW Indo-China Chinese Association, which receives funding through the Howard Government’s community settlement program, had contributed money to the Chinese New Year celebration held at Long Bay on February 21.

NSW prison authorities admitted this week that Ngo was an organiser of the prison party, and that underworld figure Arthur "Neddy" Smith was among his 100 inmate guests. The function was held three months after Ngo, 43, was jailed for life for the September 1994 murder of Cabramatta Labor MP John Newman.

The investigators will interview Fairfield councillors and staff.

All information gathered by the investigators will be referred to the police and the NSW independent Commission Against Corruption.

Mr Carr warned the council would be sacked if it was found to be tainted by Ngo’s influence.

"If there is the faintest evidence that a jailed murderer, a political assassin, has got the remotest influence over council policy, dismissal of council, dismissal of council officers and criminal proceedings (will follow)," Mr Carr said.

"They won’t have to go to prison to visit him – they will be there in the cell next door."