Lead

A jury has found former New South Wales MP Daryl Maguire guilty of a conspiracy charge related to a fraudulent visa scheme, concluding a trial that examined his involvement in recruiting businesses to sponsor Chinese nationals seeking permanent residency. The verdict was delivered to Judge Ian Bourke SC in the NSW District Court after five days of deliberation.

Maguire, who served as the Member for Wagga Wagga from 1999 to 2018, had pleaded not guilty to the charge. The offence concerned an initiative that operated between 2013 and 2015, during which he was a sitting MP. The scheme allegedly involved providing false or misleading information to the Commonwealth on visa applications, permitting non-citizens to remain in Australia.

Coverage comparison

All reports of this story come from the ABC, Australia's public broadcaster, and have maintained a neutral, informative tone throughout the trial's progression.

An early report covered the opening stages of the trial, noting Maguire's not guilty plea and the prosecution's opening statement. Mid-trial, a separate ABC report detailed the evidence of a Wagga Wagga businessman, Alan Lee Eldridge, who told the court he could not recall the details of a $30,000 payment linked to the employment of a Chinese national. Eldridge described his businesses processing 1,500 transactions a day and said he knew the payment was "treated correctly in the accounts."

As the trial entered its final stage, the ABC reported on the closing addresses. Crown Prosecutor Sean Flood SC referred to thousands of texts and emails tendered to the court between Maguire and his alleged co-conspirator Maggie Wang (also known as Maggie Logan) and her associate, migration agent Monica Hao. Flood argued that Maguire knew the scheme's fraudulent nature, stating, "Mr Maguire has been told lying to [the Department of] Immigration is part and parcel of the scheme."

After the verdict, the ABC reported the guilty finding and the sentencing schedule, with Judge Bourke indicating a sentence would be handed down in October. The report also revealed that Maguire's separate conviction for giving misleading evidence to the NSW corruption watchdog had been overturned, adding a layer of complexity to the former MP's legal standing.

The coverage presented a consistent narrative of a closed trial in which the key question was not whether the scheme was fraudulent, but whether Maguire knew. The defence's closing address, delivered by his barrister Ian McLachlan, argued it was "unbelievable" to think the former MP would "muck people around" and that he was "kept in the dark" about the fraudulent elements.

Key Claims

  • The visa scheme operated between 2013 and 2015, while Maguire was the Member for Wagga Wagga.
  • The scheme focused on gaining permanent residency for Chinese nationals, with businesses—primarily in Maguire's electorate—sponsoring visa applicants.
  • Maguire's role was to recruit participants and introduce businesses to the initiative, while co-conspirators Wang and Hao allegedly managed migration matters.
  • Multiple business owners testified to receiving cash payments for their involvement, and some applicants never met their employers or worked for them.
  • Evidence tendered to the court showed 20 visa applications were lodged during the period under examination.
  • Maguire had long-standing links to China, including a visit with business owners and a meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2014.

Perspectives

The case presented two opposing sides, as reflected in the closing addresses. The Crown, through Sean Flood SC, argued that the extensive communications between Maguire and Wang demonstrated his knowledge of the fraud, and that as a rural parliamentarian, he knew "you cannot buy a visa." The defence, represented by Ian McLachlan, countered that Maguire's role was only to introduce businesses to Wang, who handled the paperwork, and that he had no reason to participate in an unlawful arrangement. The defence highlighted that his client would have been "kept in the dark" about the fraudulent details, a characterization that was central to his closing address.