Sept. 5, 2009

Mr O'Farrell said today the state's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) should act immediately following allegations the slain businessman had an audio tape containing revelations of the bribing of state and federal Labor politicians.

Mr McGurk, 45, was shot dead outside his home in Cranbrook Avenue, Cremorne, on Sydney's north shore, about 6.30pm on Thursday. His young son witnessed the killing.

"There are serious allegations that a tape existed alleging corruption with the Rees government,'' Mr O'Farrell told reporters in Sydney today.

"A man has died and that's why ICAC should get off its backside and investigate this as a matter of urgency.

"ICAC shouldn't wait. It needs to be proactive... so that everyone knows exactly what went on.

"Every member of the Rees government will be on the phone to each other saying: 'What the hell is this about' and that's more energy that's being wasted and not being put into fixing the state's problems.''

Meanwhile Jim Byrnes, a former bankrupt who has served time in jail, claimed McGurk's home and office were recently ransacked by people trying to find and destroy the tape.

Speaking to the ABC, Mr Byrnes claimed his associate was shot in the head because he had threatened to go public with explosive allegations that senior state MPs had accepted payments from businessmen in return for favours.

"It's a pretty well established fact that there was supposed to be a tape recording of a lengthy conversation that he had with a person . . . and that tape recording related to supposed financial payments to very senior politicians within the state," Mr Byrnes said.

"Had that tape seen the light of day you might be seeing two or three politicians no longer being politicians." Mr Byrnes stressed that he did not have a copy of the tape but claimed Mr McGurk told him that several copies had been made in case anything happened to him.

"And a former NSW politician and powerbroker had reviewed the tape and as I understand it was dynamite," he said.

"The fact of the matter was when I was told of this my response was that it should be handed over to the crime commission and copies of it should also be provided to all of the major networks and newspapers.

"And not for the purpose of exploiting the politicians' naivety and stupidity but more for the fact of his own personal protection so the tape wasn't buried or lost.

"Now what I can say is that six weeks ago his offices were broken in to and ransacked and about four weeks ago his house was broken in to and ransacked.

"Somebody has been looking for this tape for some period of time and I understand that the police were notified in both occasions of the break ins."

Meanwhile, the property tycoon involved in a multi-million dollar dispute with Mr McGurk yesterday expressed his sympathy for the dead man's family.

While Ron Medich enjoyed lunch, an associate handed a statement to reporters in which he described Mr McGurk's slaying as "tragic" and his "sympathy goes out to his wife and children".

However the presence of newspaper photographers outside the restaurant appeared to sour his mood. He labelled them "a bunch of sickos" for loitering around his meal with friends.

Mr McGurk's end in a quiet street in Cremorne casts a question mark over a multi-million dollar legal fight in the Federal Court with Mr Medich and his wife Odeta.

But the Federal Court dispute with Mr Medich was not the only battle Mr McGurk had with business associates.

There was a $17 million dispute with the high-profile Tilley family over a property in Sydney's most expensive street, Wolseley Rd, Point Piper, one of the 10 most expensive residential enclaves in the world. Mr McGurk had been charged over a November 2008 firebombing of the property but the charges were dropped last month.

It was one of a host of disputes that even included a 2006 legal stoush with the Sultan of Brunei over a claim the Sultan reneged on a $10 million deal to buy a 400-year old rare miniature version of the Koran.

Mr Byrnes, yesterday told The Daily Telegraph he had engaged in "dispute resolution" services on behalf of Mr McGurk. "I was asked to get involved with a view to resolving various commercial disputes, on behalf of clients of his," he said.

"I gave him advice in relation to the Sultan of Brunei matter. I was the one who met with the Sultan here and convinced (Mr McGurk) to . . . withdraw the case."

Mr Byrnes described the victim as a true businessman who wanted to get the best results. "He had high expectations as to what financial results he might be able to achieve in any and all commercial matters he was engaged in."

Mr Byrnes said he was meeting with police at North Sydney late yesterday to "assist police in all their matters".

He added: "It's a horrible way to be killed. No one has the right to take the law into their own hands, no matter how bad the dispute. It's horrendous to execute somebody in front of their son and my heart goes out to the family."

Mr McGurk was also suspected but never charged with being involved in the January 2009 arson attack on the North Shore home of CB Richard Ellis executive Justin Brown.

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