Wyndham councillor Intaj Khan convicted and fined $26,000

Published:
Monday, 16 July 2018 at 12:51 am

This morning (16 July 2018) in Sunshine Magistrates Court, Wyndham councillor Intaj Khan was convicted on eight charges related to interest return disclosures and fined a total of $26,000*, with $15,000 in legal costs.

The Local Government Inspectorate had charged Cr Khan on 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; and two counts of failing to submit ordinary returns.

Cr Khan pleaded guilty to eight charges and Magistrate Therese McCarthy ordered him to pay a fine of $8,000 related to two counts of failing to submit an ordinary return and a total of $18,000 for the remaining six charges.

Ms McCarthy said Cr Khan had received training from Wyndham Council and a previous warning from the Inspectorate over a failure to submit an interest return, which she considered was an essential tool for good governance.

Chief Municipal Inspector David Wolf said: “The conviction and penalty imposed against Cr Khan demonstrates the importance of the governance laws for the office of councillor. The community expects their councillors to act with transparency and integrity.”

*This figure was amended from $23,000 to $26,000 in the revised court extract and now reflects the correct total for all charges.

Media enquiries

Media outlets can contact Steve Pogonowski, Senior Communications Adviser:

Updated