Wyndham councillor Intaj Khan is expected to fight charges relating to the filing of register of interest returns, with a two-day hearing scheduled for June next year.
Cr Khan fronted Werribee Magistrate’s Court yesterday to answer charges relating to the filing of register of interest returns and the non-disclosure of relevant information in the returns filed between February 2016 and February 2017. He was not required to enter a plea.
He will now face a contest hearing on June 18-19, 2018, at Sunshine Magistrate’s Court.
In August, the Local Government Investigations and Compliance Inspectorate announced Cr Khan had been charged with three counts of failing to disclose companies in which he held office during the return period; three counts of failing to disclose companies in which he held a financial interest; two counts of failing to submit ordinary returns and one count of failing to disclose property holdings.
One of the nine charges, which relates to failing to disclose property holdings, has since been dropped.
The Local Government Act 1989 requires individual councillors to lodge returns – which detail property holdings, board positions and the like – every six months while they are in office. This is to ensure that councillors declare any conflicts of interests regarding council business.
If found guilty, Cr Khan faces fines of more than $75,000.
Charlene Macaulay
