One of the highest-profile lawyers in Australia has caused doubts about the appointment of a close friend of Kerry Stokes, a West Australian billionaire, to the Royal Commission into Crown Perth, arguing that a possible conflict of interest could undermine the authority of the inquiry.
The former senior counsel for the corruption watchdog in the state of New South Wales (NSW), Geoffrey Watson SC, shared he was unable to understand the decision of the WA state’s government to appoint Neville Owen at the position of lead commissioner of the ongoing investigation into Crown Casino in Perth. The same concern has been shared by Colin Barnett, a former Premier of WA, who said Mr Owen was an unusual choice for the job.
Neville Owen, who is a former Supreme Court judge and a member of the Royal Commission into the insurer HIH’s collapse, was appointed at the chairman’s position of the Royal Commission into the Australian gambling giant’s Perth casino in March.
Since the beginning of the hearings at the commission, there were three separate occasions on which Mr Owen disclosed his links to Mr Stokes, who is close to the billionaire investor of Crown Resorts, James Packer. Furthermore, he revealed that one of the witnesses before the Royal Commission – Maryna Fewster, director of Crown Burswood – was CEO of Seven West Media, a company related to Mr Stokes.
Neville Owen Was Selected for His Professional Qualites and Extensive Experience
According to Mr Watson, who headed the probes of the NSW’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) into Eddie Obeid, former Labor powerbroker, the link could potentially become cause problems for the Royal Commission into the Australian gambling giant’s operations in Perth.
As explained by him, when appointing a Royal Commission, it is absolutely necessary for the candidates to be fully independent of the people, issues and consequences associated with the probe. Although the Royal Commission procedures are different from judicial proceedings, the rule of the commissioners’ absolute independence is still applicable.
At the time when Mr Owen disclosed his links to Mr Stokes last month, he shared he was confident there was no conflict of interest between the aforementioned association and his job as royal commissioner. When asked about the questions raised by Mr Barnett and Mr Watson, Mr Owen explained that Mr Stokes was not subjected to the inquiry.
According to Mr Watson, the Royal Commission into Crown Casino in Perth had the power to recommend the Australian gambling giant lose its licence for the Burswood Casino. He further noted that any perceived or real conflicts of interest put the credibility of the Royal Commission’s findings in danger.
Previously, the Premier of Western Australia – Mark McGowan – has supported Mr Owen, saying he was chosen to head the Royal Commission into Crown Perth due to his extensive experience in complex legal and financial cases. Unfortunately, Mr Owen’s fitness for the job has been put under question, with McGowan explaining that the questions came as part of what he described as an “internecine media war”.
- Author
Olivia Cole
