JOE Tripodi will be dumped from Cabinet next week if ICAC finds he has a case to answer over the appointment of allegedly corrupt Labor party official Joe Scimone to a $200,000-a-year departmental job.
The extraordinary threat delivered yesterday by Premier Morris Iemma, a close friend of Mr Tripodi's, came with a warning to three other ministers that they would also be sacked if found to have been involved improperly with people named in the Wollongong sex scandal.
Health Minister Reba Meagher, Police Minister David Campbell and Tourism Minister Matt Brown have all been put on notice that they would be investigated over any allegations made against them.
Despite his strong rhetoric, Mr Iemma, however, said he believed Mr Tripodi was telling the truth.
"My gut is telling me, about Joe Tripodi, that he is telling the truth, but if he's not, then he's out," he said.
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Joe was the Minister who is known to have dropped his pants at a parliamentary party for a Greens candidate.
What are the standards Iemma applies in which to bestow his trust?
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Iemma Pre Judges Pants Dropping Minister 'Safe'
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Joe Tripodi faces axe over Scimone job scandal
By Simon Benson
JOE Tripodi will be dumped from Cabinet next week if ICAC finds he has a case to answer over the appointment of allegedly corrupt Labor party official Joe Scimone to a $200,000-a-year departmental job.
The extraordinary threat delivered yesterday by Premier Morris Iemma, a close friend of Mr Tripodi's, came with a warning to three other ministers that they would also be sacked if found to have been involved improperly with people named in the Wollongong sex scandal.
Health Minister Reba Meagher, Police Minister David Campbell and Tourism Minister Matt Brown have all been put on notice that they would be investigated over any allegations made against them.
As his ministry became further embroiled in the scandal, the Premier was forced to sideline his director-general Robyn Kruk from investigating Mr Scimone's appointment to NSW Maritime four week ago.
The Daily Telegraph revealed yesterday that Ms Kruk had appointed Mr Scimone to a health department board when she was director general of health in 2005.
"We await the advice of the ICAC, if there is a matter to investigate ... if an investigation is triggered Mr Tripodi will be standing down," Mr Iemma said.
"If, at the conclusion of any review there is adverse findings against Mr Tripodi ... he will be sacked.
"In relation to Ministers Brown, Campbell and Meagher, it appears the thing put against them is that they knew Mr Scimone.
"If there is an allegation of wrongdoing against those ministers they will be investigated and action will be taken."
In what Mr Iemma described as one of his worst days in Government, compounded by the resignation of his Environment Minister Phil Koperberg for health reasons, he also requested Labor Party secretary Karl Bitar hand back any money received from developers associated with the corruption scandal -- which amounts to about $30,000 -- or donate it to charity.
Following The Daily Telegraph's exposure of the Government's links to the Wollongong Council corruption hearings, the Premier has vowed to introduce legislation to change the laws relating to political donations, with a view to restricting developer contributions.
"Change will happen and needs to happen in regard to political donations," Mr Iemma said.
Mr Scimone and a string of Labor Wollongong councillors, now all suspended from the ALP, have been named at ICAC for a range of corruption allegations including paying bribes to conmen posing as ICAC officials offering to destroy evidence.
It was also revealed that a company linked to a developer at the centre of the ICAC inquiry had donated money to Mr Campbell and Mr Brown's election campaigns last year.
The horror day for Mr Iemma came on top of further questions being raised about Mr Tripodi and an appointment of a former Labor staffer Patrick Low to a newly created job in his department in 2006.
Mr Iemma's office confirmed that the job had been advertised and Mr Lowe was chosen through the selection process.
Mr Tripodi yesterday issued a statement claiming he had done nothing wrong in relation to Mr Scimone's appointment.
Despite his strong rhetoric, Mr Iemma, however, said he believed Mr Tripodi was telling the truth.
"My gut is telling me, about Joe Tripodi, that he is telling the truth, but if he's not, then he's out," he said.
ICAC sex scandal hears from molested women
By David Barrett
FORMER female colleagues of disgraced Labor official Joe Scimone have detailed allegations of his sordid history of sexual intimidation and harassment.
The Daily Telegraph today details the disturbing stories of four women, alleged victims of sexual misconduct during Mr Scimone's time at the council.
Mr Scimone - a key Labor powerbroker and close friend of Ports Minister Joe Tripodi - was stood down this week from his $200,000-a-year job with NSW Maritime.
Statements from three women - Kylie Walker, Tracey Kirkdowney and Tanya Rajaratnam - were made to support a claim by Vicki Curran with the Anti-Discrimination Board.
That claim was then referred to the Administrative Decisions Tribunal, before being settled between Wollongong Council and Ms Curran in February last year.
The statement made by Kylie Walker reveals the sordid details of an alleged attack on Ms Curran at her partner's Wollongong home after a council staff Christmas Party in 2005.
The statement tells how Mr Scimone drove Ms Walker and Ms Curran home following a night of drinking at local venues The Harp and The Glasshouse.
The following morning, Ms Curran told Ms Walker of an incident which occurred that night.
"When I went up (to) the bedroom to get changed, he (Mr Scimone) followed me into the bedroom and when I had my dress half off, he grabbed my crotch and my left breast," Ms Curran reportedly said. "It was horrible Kylie. I couldn't get him off me because I was half way through getting the dress off and I had one side off and you know how strong that Hollywood tape is.
"I had no option but to rip the rest of the dress off in front of him. I tried to call out to you. I've got a horrible blood blister and welt and my breast is so sore and bruised. The dress got ripped and I've got a welt here from where the Hollywood tape ripped off my boob."
The statement then reveals Mr Scimone denied the attack on Ms Curran. He told Ms Walker in a telephone conversation than Ms Curran had "got undressed in front of me".
Ms Walker then asked Mr Scimone: "What on earth were you thinking?" He allegedly replied: "Well I thought we could have had a threesome."
Ms Walker said: "You're unbelievable. That's hardly the way to go about it - forcing yourself on someone while the other person's in the toilet." Mr Scimone told Ms Walker: "You could have joined us."
Prior to a waste management conference in Sydney in mid-2005, Mr Scimone also allegedly told Ms Walker that: "We'll only need one room. You'll be able to share with me."
Ms Walker chose not to attend the conference, fearing that "some form of advance would be made (by Mr Scimone) and I had no idea how I would be able to manage the situation."
In a conversation at local venue The Brewery, Mr Scimone also confided to Ms Walker that he wanted "a f... buddy" and discussed who he found "sexually interesting" at the council.
On one occasion, Mr Scimone also massaged Ms Walker's shoulders in the workplace and then said to her: "You know I'd like to f... you."
The statement reveals that Mr Scimone then walked beside Ms Walker's chair, unzipped his pants and exposed his penis.
During another incident - which also occurred during council hours - Ms Walker was shown a pornographic video of Paris Hilton in Mr Scimone's car on the way to a lunch date. After Ms Walker left the council, Mr Scimone then allegedly rang her sobbing and claimed that he was "incredibly stressed".
Prior to Christmas 2005, Ms Walker was in Sydney for a work function during which Mr Scimone allegedly rang Tanya Rajaratnam and asked her to join him in Sydney.
"I'm going to get a hotel room and I want you two to stay the night with me there. I'll pay you both $1000 if you come up," Mr Scimone allegedly said.
A statement made by former Wollongong City Council customer services officer Tanya Rajaratnam reveals further sordid details of Mr Scimone's alleged harassment of staff.
During a dinner date one night Mr Scimone allegedly asked Ms Rajaratnam: "In your sex life, what do you (sic) and what do you get up to? Do you experiment or do you have a threesome or anything like that?"
Ms Rajaratnam told Mr Scimone the approach was "very intrusive and unpleasant" and that she had been sexually assaulted when she was younger.
He replied: "Yes but there's a big difference between consensual sex and being assaulted. I like to have a threesome. You'd be safe in that sort of set up because everyone's in it together and on an equal plane."
Ms Rajaratnam's statement also corroborates with Ms Walker's account of the alleged attack on Ms Curran at her partner's home in Wollongong after a staff Christmas party in 2005.
Ms Rajaratnam's statement quotes Ms Curran on the day after the attack as saying: "I could hear him panting and slobbering and he was thrusting into me."
Ms Curran declined to comment.
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