Homes of several New South Wales Liberal Party members raided

By Anadolu Staff

ANKARA (AA) — Australian authorities raided the homes of several incumbent and former members of the New South Wales Liberal Party in connection with an ongoing anti-corruption investigation.

Laptops and phones, according to local media, were seized during the raids conducted during the week by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

The raids were launched in connection to June 2022 allegations by Ray Williams, a Liberal Party lawmaker. Then-Premier Dominic Perrottet referred to the watchdog, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Williams accused several senior party officials of receiving payment to install new members on the Hills Shire Council who would allegedly be friendly with a Sydney developer.

A parliamentary inquiry was launched in the wake of the allegations ahead of an election on March 25. It heard allegations that a Liberal powerbroker sought to "branch-stack" federal deputy leader Sussan Ley's electorate of Farrer, a suburb in the capital Canberra, in late 2020, to take the seat himself, the newspaper reported.

Several Liberal Party members, however successfully evaded being summoned to provide evidence to the probe before it was disbanded, with writs issued three weeks before the election.

No immediate comment came from the ICAC.