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City councillor backs down from code of conduct complaint

Adelaide City councillor Arman Abrahimzadeh has agreed to withdraw a code of conduct complaint lodged against rival councillor Anne Moran following a failed mediation, InDaily can reveal.

Aug 14, 2019, updated Aug 14, 2019
Rival Adelaide City councillors Arman Abrahimzadeh and Anne Moran. Photos: Tony Lewis / InDaily

Rival Adelaide City councillors Arman Abrahimzadeh and Anne Moran. Photos: Tony Lewis / InDaily

The complaint, lodged in May, included allegations that Moran called Abrahimzadeh a “dickhead” during a council meeting and mispronounced his name.

Abrahimzadeh also alleged Moran told him “want to change my motion you fucking speak to me first” when he rose to move an amendment during a council meeting.

Moran previously admitted to the behaviour, but denied it warranted formal investigation.

Both Moran and Abrahimzadeh confirmed to InDaily this afternoon via text messages that the complaint had been withdrawn.

“Cllr Moran called me yesterday,” Abrahimzadeh said.

“We reached a resolution and I withdrew the code of conduct.”

Moran said: “He agreed to withdraw it”.

Ahrahimzadeh’s decision follows reports last week that a mediation between the two councillors failed to settle their long-running dispute.

InDaily understands the city council contracted legal firm KelledyJones to to carry out the code of conduct investigation and mediation.

The council has previously refused to reveal how much it had spent on the legal process, with a spokesperson telling InDaily the council did not comment on specific code of conduct cases that have not been finalised.

But Moran told InDaily last week that “the legal meter is ticking and it has been for some weeks”, with the city council racking up “thousands of dollars” in lawyers’ fees to handle the complaint. 

She said she emailed Abrahimzadeh “about a month ago” saying she didn’t want to have any dealings with him outside the council chamber.

Moran claimed Abrahimzadeh agreed to that request.

In May, the council also allowed councillors to choose where they sat in the chamber, following comments from Moran that she felt “threatened” and “fearful” by the “disrespect and hatred” of other members.

Underpinning the dispute are ongoing tensions at Town Hall between the “Team Adelaide” majority faction – of which Abrahimzadeh is a member – and the minority bloc – to which Moran belongs.

At last night’s council meeting, Abrahimzadeh nominated Moran to continue her role on the Council’s Assessment Panel (CAP) for a further six months.

“I actually would like to thank councillor Moran for her time on CAP,” he said.

A council spokesperson confirmed that the code of conduct complaint had been withdrawn.

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