National

Court wants Daryl Maguire's visa fraud pleas by Xmas

By AAP Newswire

Sep 19, 2023

Former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire (file image) — Ex-MP Daryl Maguire is accused of conspiring with a migration agent to breach the Migration Act. -AAP Image

Ex-NSW Liberal MP Daryl Maguire should be arraigned by the end of the year when his visa fraud case will be set down for either trial or sentencing, a magistrate has said.

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Maguire, 64, allegedly conspired with migration agent Maggie Ning Logan, 54, to breach the Migration Act between January 2013 and August 2015.

As the criminal cases came before Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, prosecutors and defence lawyers asked for a further 12-week adjournment to conduct a second case conference.

Maguire's lawyerÂ Jim Harrowell also said his client had been given a further 5000 files from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and needed time to peruse them.

Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson granted the adjournment until December 5 but stressed that the case had to get a move on at that stage.

"It's got to go up when it's ready. We all need to get it out of this court," she said.

"Fifth of December you should be aiming to get it ready to go."

If the case is ready to proceed at that point, Maguire and Logan can be arraigned and give their pleas before the end of 2023.

They will then be scheduled for trial or sentencing in the District Court depending on their pleas.

Maguire and Logan are both on bail but were not required to attend court in person on Tuesday.

The former MP is also facing a separate charge of misleading the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption over his business dealings.

He has pleaded not guilty to one charge of giving false or misleading evidence at a public inquiry over any financial benefits he received regarding the sale of a property in Sydney's southwest.

While telling ICAC that he had not sought any financial benefits, he was caught on phone tap allegedly asking for payment if he secured millions of dollars in investment from a Chinese developer.

Maguire resigned from NSW parliament in 2018 after the separate Operation Keppel ICAC investigation began into his improper use of his role as an MP to benefit a company in which he had a financial interest.

That inquiry later exposed his secret "close personal relationship" with Gladys Berejiklian, which led to the then-premier resigning from her role.

In June, ICAC found Maguire had engaged in serious corrupt conduct over a number of years for his dealings related to the company.