Former Sports Minister John Sidoti has been barred from the New South Wales parliament after the state’s corruption watchdog found the MP was involved in serious corrupt conduct.
Sidoti’s former colleagues passed a motion in the Legislative Assembly to suspend him from parliament after he refused to resign.
Sidoti denies any wrongdoing.
ICAC found that John Sidoti had engaged in serious corrupt conduct. (Nick Moir)
Sidoti plans to appeal the corruption watchdog’s finding to the Supreme Court.
“I’m going to fight this. I’m going to fight all the way. I’m not going anywhere,” Sidoti said during an interview with 9News reporter Chris O’Keefe.
The ICAC is seeking the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on whether criminal proceedings should be pursued.
In his final words before the suspended sentence, Sidoti took aim at ICAC.
“This Frankenstein’s monster is out of control and no one is safe,” Sidoti said.
“Reform the beat before it bites you too.
“You don’t have to look far to read the long line of people who have entered the ICAC process and come out battered and stained by the c-word.
“Many of these people were later cleared by real courts where the presumption of innocence, the standards of proof and the rules of evidence actually apply.”
Sidoti heads to the Legislative Assembly before the motion for his suspension is passed. (9 News)
Sidoti is the second former government minister to be expelled from parliament, following the suspension of Gareth Ward last month.
Sidoti stood aside as a minister in Gladys Berejiklian’s government following the corruption investigation in March 2021.
So far, he has sat on the cross bench.