NSW Labor's community relations director didn't ask questions about 12 cash donors to a 2015 Chinese Friends of Labor dinner because he "didn't want to be a hero" or implicate himself in illegality, an inquiry has heard.
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Kenrick Cheah on Tuesday again appeared before the Independent Commission Against Corruption, having been accused last week of a post-fundraiser "switcheroo" of fake $5000 donors to add legitimacy to the CFL donor list.
The ICAC is examining whether Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo, now banned from Australia, was the actual source of the $100,000 given to NSW Labor and Country Labor, said to be donated by the 12 people.
Mr Huang, a property developer, was prohibited by law from making donations to NSW political parties at the time.
Mr Cheah was accused on Friday of delaying the allotment of CFL donor receipts at the behest of former NSW upper house MP Ernest Wong, and of changing two purported $10,000 contributions to avoid the suspicion of 10 identical CFL donations.
In a tense and often rancorous appearance in the ICAC witness box, Mr Cheah on Tuesday confirmed he'd been asked by Mr Wong to change two CFL donation forms and Leo Liao and Steve Tong were listed as donors in place of Valentine Yee and To Yip in the amounts of $5000.
"He (Mr Wong) asked for the replacement forms to replace two of the original forms and he asked if that could be done before the receipts were issued," Mr Cheah said.
"On the face of things, I had no reason to think of fraud at the time.
"It didn't occur to me that it was anything suspicious. I followed the instructions because I wasn't looking for fraud."
Mr Cheah said he then sent the amended receipts to Mr Wong to be issued.
In an exchange with counsel assisting the commission, Scott Robertson, and the chief commissioner, Peter Hall QC, Mr Cheah insisted he never thought to ask Mr Wong if there were any issues related to the CFL dinner.
The inquiry has previously heard Mr Huang delivered the $100,000 in cash to NSW Labor headquarters in an Aldi plastic shopping bag and Mr Cheah took the cash home on April 8 in 2015 for counting.
Mr Cheah said he never inquired about the money's origins and didn't know Mr Huang's profession until years after the incident.
"I'd rather keep my involvement in the whole thing to what it is, doing my job ... I didn't want to ask," Mr Cheah said.
"If I'd asked questions like that, that would've just drawn me in deeper.
"Maybe I put self-interest first but I don't want to be involved in anything untoward. The more I ask questions, the more I'd probably get involved. I don't want to be a hero ... my civic duty is not to investigate."
Mr Cheah disputed former NSW Labor apparatchik Julie Sibraa's allegation that he'd said he brought the $100,000 cash to Labor headquarters - insisting he told her Mr Huang was the courier.
He said he told Ms Sibraa that Mr Huang delivered the money to former NSW Labor general secretary Jamie Clements who passed it on for processing.
But Ms Sibraa has told the NSW Electoral Commission that Mr Cheah brought the money to the office.
The anti-corruption inquiry continues.
Australian Associated Press
