The mystery surrounding slain property developer Michael McGurk continues to deepen, with claims that he had evidence of a scandal that could bring down the Government refuted this morning by leading Labour Party figure Graeme Richardson.
The existence of the tape, which supposedly involves a prominent Sydney property developer and federal and political officials, has been confirmed by Richardson and Jim Byrnes, a controversial Sydney lawyer and friend of McGurk.
But Richardson says the section of the tape that supposedly details the bribery allegations is of poor quality.
“A critical part where there was supposed to be allegations of bribery was completely inaudible,” Richardson told the Nine Network this morning.
“There’s nothing on the tape that you can understand, neither contents or names.”
Byrnes has also said this morning that the slain businessman had a tendency to “gild the lily”.
“Michael was one of those sort of larger-than-life characters who did have a tendency, in my opinion, he had a tendency, to maybe gild the lily,” Byrnes told a radio station in reference to the alleged tape.
McGurk’s colourful past has been highlighted in the days since his death on the night of 3 September.
There have been allegations that McGurk was millions of dollars in debt when he died, and the Sydney Morning Herald has revealed that McGurk’s real name was Michael Rushford.
As SmartCompany reported on Friday, McGurk had been involved in a string of property disputes in recent years with prominent developers Adam and Ben Tilley and Ron Medich, although there is no suggestion McGurk’s murder is connected with these cases.
McGurk had been involved in a property dispute between Adam Tilley and another wealthy entrepreneur, Ron Medich, over the 2004 sale of a mansion by Medich to Tilley. According to the SMH, Medich appointed McGurk to recover money owed over the sale.
But Federal Court documents show Medich and McGurk were locked in a separate dispute over McGurk’s role in “extracting” Medich from an investment in the then-listed lender Amazing Loans.
While the NSW Police’s homicide squad continues to investigate the death, there have been calls for the NSW’s Independent Crime and Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the McGurk tape claims.
James was the editor and publisher of SmartCompany and LeadingCompany for five years. He is now the Australian Financial Review‘s companies & markets editor, and a former BRW editor.
