Mettam demands ‘fulsome’ explanation over WA Labor MP’s New York trip
Deputy Liberal leader Libby Mettam says questions remain over Labor MP Jagadish Krishnan’s gift and travel disclosures following a trip to New York in 2024 where he allegedly secured a $1 million loan from a wealthy US banker for his wife’s business.
American businessman Kannan Amalraj and his company, Kenyan Consulting LLC, is suing Krishnan in a New Jersey court for non-payment of that loan that he claimed had a one-year term.
Krishnan has vowed to “vigorously” fight Amalraj’s lawsuit, claiming the deal signed outlined a nine-year repayment term, and is countersuing Amalraj in the WA Supreme Court for defamation over emails Amalraj sent to Krishnan’s colleagues, including Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson, earlier this year detailing their financial dispute.
Amalraj claimed he spent about $US5000 on accommodation, transport and a Hudson River dinner cruise for Krishnan.
None of those expenses appeared in Krishnan’s parliamentary disclosure register.
On Monday, Mettam called on Krishnan and WA Premier Roger Cook to provide a “fulsome and transparent” response.
“This is a very serious matter of transparency and integrity when it comes to parliamentary disclosures and returns,” she said.
“I think that the fact that there still are outstanding questions in relation to disclosures should ring alarm bells.
“We are talking about transparency when it comes to parliamentary disclosures, and it is up to the premier and the member for Riverton to be absolutely transparent in their explanation as to why potentially matters have not been disclosed when there is an obligation to do so.”
Last week, Krishnan was adamant he did not do anything wrong.
“I’ve done everything appropriately in my declarations. My personal declarations have been done appropriately. I’m confident. I’ve done the appropriate thing,” he said last week.
He declined to go any further into his declarations because they were connected to a live legal matter.
Krishnan said the trip was private, not parliamentary, and he was assisting his wife.
The loan was sent to Codd Technologies, whose sole shareholder and director is Krishnan’s wife Yaamini Jagadish.
The Members of Parliament (Financial Disclosures) Act 1992 mandates that a member “shall disclose gifts received”, if they are valued at $500 or more. They must also disclose any financial contribution to travel, unless it “was made in the ordinary course of any trade, profession or vocation of the member”.
Krishnan resigned from all director roles in his related businesses when he entered politics and remains only a sole shareholder in his family company, Srishanna Pty Ltd.
Srishanna was a major shareholder of Spectrum Health Group, a large network of GP clinics cofounded by Krishnan. Spectrum Health was sold in a multimillion-dollar deal last week.
Last year, Krishnan said he had stepped back from the day-to-day activities of his business, but would sometimes assist his wife when she had queries.
Responding to Krishnan’s situation, Centre for Public Integrity director Geoffrey Watson said MPs should regard that role as their fulltime employment and give it their full commitment.
“They’re effectively an employee of the people of Western Australia,” he said
“You can have a minor business on the side that does not divert their attention from their job as a parliamentarian.”
Krishnan was approached for further comment on Monday.
Last Friday, Cook said he could not comment about Krishnan’s disclosures because it was related to a live legal matter.
The premier said he had been made aware of the US lawsuit in the past week, and declined to comment on Krishnan’s legal fight, or whether he should have declared Kenyan Consulting’s hospitality.
“What you’re saying to me is one of the parties in this legal action has made some accusations now about hospitality and other gifts, I’m going to leave that up to the courts to decide,” he said.
“I require all MPs to uphold the very highest levels of standards that meet both the criteria and guidelines that we work within, but also in terms of community standards, and that applies to everyone.”
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