BUSINESSMAN John Cassidy says he has “no idea” why the sale of Tattersalls Hotel has been referred to the anti-corruption watchdog.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Cassidy was chancellor of UNE when the sale happened in 2006.
The hotel was owned by UNE Union and sold to Darrell Hendry, a former business associate of Mr Cassidy. Mr Cassidy told The Express in 2006 he had bought into the company, Armpub, a month after it bought the hotel.
At the time, he shrugged off claims of a conflict of interest.
Yesterday, he was holidaying in Indonesia when told of the referral to the Independent Commision Against Corruption by UNE Vice-Chancellor Jim Barber.
“People can do what they want,” Mr Cassidy said.
On Friday, Professor Barber referred the $2.65 million sale to ICAC. The Beardy Street hotel was bought in November 2005 by Armpub, of which Darrell Hendry was a director. Mr Cassidy, who was University of New England chancellor at the time, became a director of Armpub in January, 2006.
At the time, Mr Cassidy criticised “some of Armidale’s small-minded people” for alleging he had inside knowledge of the sale of Tattersalls Hotel.
“When the tender was awarded to Mr Hendry in late November I had no involvement whatsoever,” Mr Cassidy told The Express then.
Mr Cassidy was chancellor of UNE from 2004 (shortly after retiring as chief executive of the Abigroup) until 2008. He remains a director of Armpub along with Mr Hendry and lists his current address as Blueys Beach.
Records from the NSW Valuer-General’s Office show UNE Union paid $900,000 for the hotel in 1996. The hotel’s sale was put to tender when UNE Union was consumed by UNE Services.
Mr Cassidy said yesterday he also had “no idea” whether $2.6 million was a big price to pay for the hotel at the time.
“I don’t know whether it was a big price at the time, you’d have to ask Mr Hendry that,” he said.
Meanwhile, Armidale Dumaresq Council general manager Shane Burns said yesterday Mr Cassidy had approached Council earlier this year about the hotel’s upgrade.
Council had passed a development application for a $5 million revamp of the building in 2009.
The plans included an outdoor eating area, car-parking at the rear and extra accommodation upstairs.
Council viewed the upgrade as a way of encouraging people back to the Mall, where retailers have struggled over the past few years.
Mr Burns said Mr Cassidy had approached Council to talk about devlopment matters.
But yesterday, Mr Cassidy remained aloof about the redevelopment.
“Armidale isn’t a great place to invest at the moment,” he said.
Professor Barber said he had referred the 2005 sale in accordance with the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act.
“This is now a matter for the proper authorities to investigate and they will receive the full cooperation of the university,” Professor Barber said.