Then-local government minister Stirling Hinchliffe appointed an administrator at the council,south of Brisbane,in May 2019 and swept aside the entire elected body days after the group,along with the already-suspended Mr Smith,were automatically and briefly stood down with pay.
The departure of councillors Russell Lutton,Cherie Dalley,Phil Pidgeon,Steve Swenson,Laurie Smith,Trevina Schwarz and Jennie Breene had left the council with just four members,not enough to form a quorum,triggering its dismissal under the same 2018 laws that forced their suspension while they faced criminal charges.
After the Crown prosecutor told the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday the fraud charges against the eight would be dropped owing to insufficient evidence,magistrate Steve Courtney described it as a “proper decision” based on what he had seen during committal hearings. The public gallery,with many of the councillors present,erupted into applause before most filtered out.
Prosecutors told the court they would rely on evidence already submitted for the charges remaining against Mr Smith,for interfering with a recruitment process to dishonestly gain a benefit for another person and commencing a dishonest probation period intended to cause detriment to Ms Kelsey.
Mr Smith offered no comment on the charges while in court. His trial will be set down in the District Court at a date to be determined.
Outside the court,many of the councillors spoke of the heavy toll the past two years had played on their personal and professional lives. Some described being turned down for jobs because of the charges hanging over them,and others the breakdown of relationships.
“I have lived through two years of torture and hell,” Ms Schwarz said,labelling the ordeal faced by the group the “death of presumption of innocence”.