30 April 2004 | Director of Liquor and Gaming, NSW
On 30 April 2004, Kenneth Maxwell Brown, NSW Director of Liquor and Gaming, formally appointed Ian Temby AO QC to conduct an inquiry into allegations of corrupt or improper conduct concerning Penrith Rugby League Club Limited.
The Instrument of Appointment identified six allegations for investigation. These concerned the cancellation of a Board election, changes to the Club’s constitution, the voting rights of members of amalgamated clubs, information provided to the Board, Roger Cowan’s remuneration and the financial dealings between Panthers and Phyro Holdings.
The sixth and most far-reaching allegation was that the Club had, to a large extent, been run for the benefit of Roger Cowan and his close associates, rather than in good faith for the benefit of all members.
The Instrument also conferred on Temby powers under the Royal Commissions Act 1923, subject to specified exceptions, and established procedures for conducting the inquiry.
Why this document is important
The Instrument of Appointment provides the formal terms on which the Temby Inquiry was established. It identifies the allegations that were to be investigated and the powers available to the inquiry.
It is particularly relevant to Part 74 of Panthers, Passion & Politics, in which Jennie Bentley examines each allegation and questions whether the information available to the Department of Gaming and Racing justified establishing an inquiry with such extensive investigative powers.
Readers can examine the original wording of the allegations and consider the issues raised in the book.
The original document
The Instrument of Appointment is reproduced below from the final report of the Temby Inquiry.
Source: Ian Temby AO QC, Inquiry into the Penrith Rugby League Club Limited — Report, December 2004. Instrument of Appointment dated 30 April 2004.
Related Topics
- Beyond the Book — The Temby Inquiry
- Part 69 — The Temby Inquiry Begins: Panthers in the Firing Line
- Part 74 — A Royal Commission into Corruption at Panthers
- Beyond the Book — What Temby Actually Found — Steve Bowers Reports to the Board
Related Themes
Conflict · Temby Inquiry · Board Decisions · Governance
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