Former Wollongong City Council general manager Rod Oxley has dismissed as "beyond belief" the corruption watchdog's findings that he engaged in corrupt conduct and has vowed to fight the slur.
He attacked the Independent Commission Against Corruption for "besmirching" his reputation, saying he would pursue all legal avenues to have the findings overturned and his integrity and good standing restored.
In his final report, Independent Commission Against Corruption Commissioner Jerrold Cripps was scathing of Mr Oxley's pro-development approach, which he said set the wrong example for council staff.
"The commission is satisfied that Mr Oxley's conduct increased the likelihood of corrupt conduct occurring and it was conduct that was liable to allow, encourage or cause the occurrence of corrupt conduct," the report said.
However, the commission did not recommend criminal charges be pursued against Mr Oxley.
Mr Oxley criticised ICAC's "name and shame" approach and its "speculative" findings.
"(ICAC's) report has overlooked matters of fact and has drawn conclusions based on contradictory evidence," he said.
"The findings that I have engaged in conduct that constitutes or involves the dishonest or partial exercise of any of my official functions is beyond belief."
The ICAC report released on Wednesday described Mr Oxley as driven by a pro-development philosophy which led him to hide information from councillors, court developer Frank Vellar and ignore suggestions that senior planner Beth Morgan was sleeping with Mr Vellar.
Mr Vellar's $100 million Quattro proposal for the corner of Crown and Keira streets became a focus of ICAC's report, which found Mr Oxley intentionally kept councillors out of the loop.
"Mr Oxley deliberately prevented any consultation with the Lord Mayor and ward councillors prior to the determination of the Quattro (proposal), when he knew that it should have occurred," the report said.
It went on to find that Mr Oxley violated the council's code of conduct, which he had signed himself, when he met and spoke with developers about their proposals. Between 2000 and 2006 Mr Oxley had 34 meetings with Mr Vellar, at least 11 of which involved lunches or coffees at restaurants or cafes.
During the assessment of Quattro, Mr Vellar twice took Mr Oxley to lunch at a restaurant and at least once at a cafe.
In December 2005, four months after Quattro was approved, Mr Oxley received a dozen bottles of "good red wine" costing about $264 as a Christmas present from Mr Vellar.
"Mr Vellar requested, and Mr Oxley agreed to provide, what can only properly be regarded as concessions or preferential treatment," ICAC's report said.
The report found Mr Oxley also turned a blind eye to two incidents which suggested Ms Morgan was in a relationship with Mr Vellar.
In October 2005 word reached Mr Oxley that the pair was travelling to China together. Furthermore in September 2006, a stray email intended for Mr Vellar was sent by Ms Morgan to a council staffer.
Mr Oxley was told of the email, then he walked to Ms Morgan's office, handed her a printed copy and said: "Beth, you'd just better be careful where your emails go".
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