Fed: Grech's story doesn't make sense: Ciobo

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2009
Fed: Grech's story doesn't make sense: Ciobo

CANBERRA, Aug 4 AAP - The timeline of events put forward by the public servant at the
centre of the OzCar scandal doesn't add up, Liberal frontbencher Steve Ciobo says.

Senior Treasury official Godwin Grech has said he faked an email which purported to
involve Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's office in the affair.

He then allegedly showed the faked email to Mr Turnbull and the Liberal's Senate deputy
leader Eric Abetz on June 12, a week before giving evidence at a Senate inquiry hearing
into the matter.

Mr Grech said he cooperated with the coalition in order to secure their support for
the OzCar finance bill in the Senate.

But Mr Ciobo said by the time of Mr Grech and Mr Turnbull's meeting in June, the opposition
had already decided to support the legislation.

"Indeed it actually went through the House of Representatives on the 28th of May without
dissent," he told Sky News on Tuesday.

"So the notion that in some way there was some kind of deal or something simply doesn't
hold up at first glance."

Mr Ciobo denied that Mr Grech was coached by the Liberal Party ahead of his Senate
inquiry appearance.

While the controversy was a boon for Labor, Mr Turnbull had acted in good faith.

"Fundamentally there is nothing wrong with the opposition leader seeking to hold the
Rudd Labor government to account on the basis of what we thought at the time was a legitimate
email," Mr Ciobo said.

Assistant Treasurer Nick Sherry called on Mr Turnbull and Mr Abetz to clarify whether
they did indeed meet Mr Grech before the Senate hearing.

"They also need to explain whether they put any pressure, attempted to coerce him,
attempted to intimidate him in respect to the evidence he was going to give at those Senate
committees," he said.

"They should fess up and if they don't do that today they should both resign."

AAP bsb/rl/jfm/de

KEYWORD: DEALERS CIOBO

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