The former chief executive of Ipswich City Council, his wife and two businessmen have been sentenced in Brisbane District Court on Friday for corruption.
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Carl Wulff, 66, his wife Sharon Oxenbridge, 50, and businessmen Wayne Myers, 64, and Claude Walker, 61, all pleaded guilty in December after they were charged following a lengthy Crime and Corruption Commission investigation into the council's dealings.
Wulff, who has already spent 57 days in prison, was sentenced to 4½ years prison for the two charges of corruption, served concurrently.
He was also sentenced to six months served cumulatively for the third charge of attempting to pervert the investigation.
The four were sentenced over schemes that used "bogus" consulting contracts and falsified invoices with Wulff and Oxenbridge's company Bojangles Pty Ltd to funnel "kick-backs" to the pair.
"As chief executive officer of Ipswich City Council, you occupied a position of considerable influence and importance and one which gave you overall managerial responsibility for the council's operations," chief justice Kerry O'Brien said to Wulff.
"This offending was sophisticated, involving as it did the use of the company structure of Bojangles and the use of bogus invoices manufactured by you to camouflage the payments you received.
"Your corruption extended over a lengthy period of time and the amount of money involved was considerable."
The sentences will be suspended after nine months in prison, in August 2020.
The 57 days already spent in prison were counted toward his sentence.
His wife Oxenbridge was sentenced to three years in prison for two corruption charges, suspended after nine months with a similar four-year good conduct expectation.
Walker was also given a three-year sentence, suspended after nine months.
Myers, who the chief judge noted had health conditions and had given the investigation proof of Wulff’s attempts to mislead the investigation, was sentenced to 2½ years’ jail, suspended after six months.
"There is conflict within your individual accounts as to who actually initiated the corrupt arrangement," Justice O'Brien said on Friday as he handed down the sentences.
"It is not possible on the material before me to resolve this question and it is accepted by all parties in these proceedings that I need not do so.
"It’s clear that whoever initiated the agreement, all involved were willing participants."
The charges against Walker involved a contract gained by his company after the 2011 floods, with Walker giving two $2500 cash payments to Wulff and then making it clear he would pay more.
Wulff accepted, funnelling money through the Bojangles company and being paid $5000 a month by Walker to ensure Walker's company continued receiving favourable treatment.
"Subsequently Wulff, as the investigation by the Crime and Corruption Commission became evident, you attempted to involve Myers and Oxenbridge in supporting you in giving a false account designed to pervert the course of the investigation into your corruption," Justice O'Brien said.
Myers co-operated with the investigation by wearing a wire to record conversations, and handing over a document to the CCC that detailed Wulff's planned story.
In total, Wulff accepted more than $240,000 in bribes.
Justice O'Brien noted the seriousness of official corruption and the impact on the heart of public service.
The four are the first to be sentenced following the Crime and Corruption Commission investigation into the dealings of Ipswich City Council.
Wulff is not an Australian citizen so questions about his visa remain.
In August, the CCC tabled its report in Parliament after wrapping up the investigation into Ipswich City Council.
The CCC found an "unhealthy culture" had seeped into council and recommended the use of councillors' private email accounts for official business should be banned.
Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe’s predecessor in the Bligh government was warned 10 years ago about “irregular” accounting by Ipswich City Council after the city’s footpaths were revalued upwards by $12 million, an amount claimed as “income” in its annual financial statement.
But according to the senior judicial official who raised the issue with then-local government minister Warren Pitt, “nothing came of it”.
-with Toby Crockford
