Πρωθυπουργός παραιτήθηκε για ένα μπουκάλι κόκκινο κρασί!..Barry O’Farrell quits as NSW premier over ‘memory fail’

Ο πρωθυπουργός της Νέας Νότιας Ουαλίας έλαβε ένα μπουκάλι κρασί Penfolds Grange 1959, αξίας 3,000 δολαρίων, από το αφεντικό της ΑWH Nick Di Girolamo, προκειμένου να κάνει «διευκολύνσεις» στην εταιρεία του

Για ένα μπουκάλι πανάκριβο κόκκινο κρασί, παραιτήθηκε των καθηκόντων του ο πρωθυπουργός της Νέας Νότιας Ουαλίας, της μεγαλύτερης αυστραλιανής πολιτείας, Μπάρι Ο' Φάρελ.


Την Τρίτη, ο κ. Ο' Φάρελ κατέθεσε στην Ανεξάρτητη Επιτροπή Κατά της Διαφθοράς που ερευνά τις διασυνδέσεις της εταιρείας Australian Water Holdings (ΑWΗ) με πολιτικούς.

Όταν ρωτήθηκε αν είχε λάβει ένα πανάκριβο μπουκάλι κρασί Penfolds Grange 1959, αξίας 3,000 δολαρίων, από το αφεντικό της ΑWH Nick Di Girolamo, προκειμένου να κάνει «διευκολύνσεις» στην εταιρεία του, ο κ. Ο' Φάρελ το αρνήθηκε κατηγορηματικά.



«Αν το είχα λάβει θα το θυμόμουν» είπε. Αποδείχθηκε όμως ότι το είχε λάβει και είχε στείλει και εγγράφως τα ευχαριστήρια του στον κ. Nick Di Girolamo, κάτι που αποκαλύφθηκε σήμερα με αποτέλεσμα ο κ. Ο' Φάρελ να παραιτηθεί για λόγους ευθιξίας.

Στην ίδια Επιτροπή, κατέθεσε πριν από περίπου δύο εβδομάδες και ο ομογενής πρώην αναπληρωτής υπουργός Οικονομικών, Θανάσης Συνοδινός, ο οποίος υποχρεώθηκε επίσης να παραιτηθεί, ενώ έχουν εμπλακεί στην όλη υπόθεση και άλλοι ομογενείς.πηγη

Barry O’Farrell quits as NSW premier over ‘memory fail’ 

 While conceding he had yesterday given “inaccurate’’ evidence to the Independent Commission against Corruption, Mr O’Farrell said he had testified in good faith and could still not recall receiving a $3000 bottle of vintage Grange. “I still have no idea what happened to the bottle of wine,’’ the Liberal leader told the ICAC. Mr O’Farrell was back in the witness stand after yesterday vehemently denying before the ICAC that he had received the $3000 bottle of rare red wine from Nick Di Girolamo, chief executive of Australian Water Holdings, the company at the centre of a corruption inquiry. The Liberal leader quit as NSW premier this morning after admitting he had sent a thankyou note for the wine. He blamed a “massive memory fail’’ for his earlier evidence but denied he had sought to mislead the corruption inquiry, wilfully or otherwise. ICAC was told today the wine was delivered to Mr O’Farrell’s home at 4.30pm on April 20, 2011, shortly after the Liberals won power in NSW. Called back to the ICAC, Mr O’Farrell said: “I tried to give accurate evidence ... (reports) went from boxes of wine to a box of wine to a bottle of wine ... I gave this matter thought, I considered what I had been doing and yesterday gave my best recollection of that, and I was certainly mistaken. “Commissioner I regret that. “The regret for me counsel, having seen the letter, having seen the envelope, it still does not spark a recollection.’’ Mr O’Farrell said the time was an extremely busy one, passing from “out of a campaign into government’’ as well as the death of his father-in-law. “None of that detracts from the fact that the evidence I gave yesterday was inaccurate.’’ Mr O’Farrell had been due to be a member of the welcoming party for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge this afternoon, as well as hosting a civic reception at the Opera House, but pulled out of the royal events. Announcing his shock resignation earlier today, Mr O’Farrell said he accepted he had written a thankyou note to Mr Di Girolamo for the Grange. “And as someone who believes in accountability, in responsibility, I accept the consequences of my action.’’
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