SA magistrate faces court after ICAC inquiry
A South Australian magistrate has faced court on deception charges after an investigation by the state’s Independent Commissioner Against Corruption.
Bob Harrap (left) with defence counsel David Edwardson QC. Photo: AAP/David Mariuz
Bob Harrap has been charged with two counts of deception, one count of conspiring to commit an abuse of public office and one of conspiring or attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Three women also faced Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday over related offences.
Abigail Rebecca Foulkes and another woman, whose identity has been suppressed, have been charged with one count of deceiving another to benefit themselves.
Lawyer Catherine Jayne Moyse was also charged with using her position as a public officer to secure a benefit and with attempting to obstruct or pervert the course of justice.
In a statement last week, ICAC Bruce Lander said it would be alleged that in May Harrap misrepresented who was driving his government-issued car when it was observed committing traffic offences, and thereby engaged in deception to obtain a benefit for himself.
Lander said it would be separately alleged he conspired with another person to pervert the course of justice and conspired to abuse his public office in relation to a matter that was to be heard by him.
Harrap sat in the body of the court on Monday and was not required to enter any pleas.
District Court Juge Stephen McEwen, who has been assigned to handle the case, was told that there had been some discussions between the parties, with prosecutors asking for a short adjournment to allow them to continue.
Judge McEwen agreed to adjourn all the matters to July 27.
Harrap remains free on bail with his co-accused not required to enter bail agreements at this stage.
When the charges against Harrap were revealed, Chief Magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal said he would not sit or conduct any court business until the matters against him had been finalised.
“Accordingly, I have directed that Magistrate Harrap take leave until the charges against him have been determined according to law,” Judge Hribal said in a statement.
She said it was also not appropriate for any other magistrate to hear the matter so she had asked for a District Court judge to preside over his case.
-AAP
