Shock twist over the Liberal MP accused of repeatedly raping a child as second MP facing sex charges launches legal action over 'salacious' gossip about his role
- Independent MP Gareth Ward denies helping Rory Amon
- Amon resigned as Liberal MP following 10 child sex charges
- READ MORE: Liberal MP ordered to quit Parliament
EXCLUSIVE
A former NSW Liberal MP accused of rape and assault has rubbished claims that he actively campaigned for a Sydney candidate who was under investigation over child sex allegations.
Liberal-turned-independent MP Gareth Ward slammed resurfaced claims that he called the party's State Executive to make sure his former colleague Rory Amon was the only candidate for the seat of Pittwater ahead of the March 2023 election.
On Friday, Amon resigned from his Northern Beaches seat after he was charged with 10 child sex offences against a boy who was known to him in Mona Vale 2017.
Claims that Ward - who was separately hit with five sexual assault-related charges in 2022 - actively supported Amon were reported in Nine Newspapers in 2022, and reemerged in print again this weekend, and on 2GB on Monday morning.
Radio host Ben Fordham said: 'The Herald is reporting that the former Liberal MP Gareth Ward was calling people in the party to support Rory Amon in his pre-selection.'
Now, Ward has told Daily Mail Australia he wasn't aware those 'salacious' claims were reported at the time, but he categorically denies them and plans to take legal action.
By the time Amon flagged he wanted to run for the seat of Pittwater after September 2022, Ward had left NSW Liberal and joined the crossbench amid the fallout over his sexual assault allegations - which he has pleaded not guilty to.
'This claim is rubbish. It's just a smear campaign. I'm seeking legal advice,' he said.
Rory Amon (pictured) was asked to resign from the NSW Liberal Party on Friday following ten child sex charges
Independent MP Gareth Ward (pictured) has denied helping Amon get preselection for the seat of Pittwater
Amon expressed an intention to run for pre-selections when the former state MP Robert Stokes announced his retirement in 2022, even though Mr Stokes and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet had wanted a woman to run for the seat.
NSW Police investigated the child sex claims against Amon for two years. He was under investigation by the time he was nominated for preselection.
On Monday, Fordham spoke with ousted NSW Liberal member Kyle Kutasi, who said: 'There was a very funny process that took place with that pre-selection to ensure that [Amon] was the only candidate.'
'We went for a period of six months where we had no candidate in a marginal seat.
'We kept being told that nominations needed to reopen because the premier wanted a woman candidate, but when we asked who that was, we never got an answer.'
Mr Kutasi told Daily Mail Australia wasn't aware of any involvement in the situation by Ward, but doubled-down on his claims that Liberal wanted Amon to be the only candidate.
He said there were originally three candidates - one who was ruled out, another forgot to renew his membership, and a third withdrew.
'Every meeting we didn't have a candidate and they were holding off on it. It was never explained,' he said.
Former NSW Liberal MP Rory Amon is pictured on Sunday, while reporting for bail in Dee Why
Amon (pictured with his bail documents) was charged with assaulting a teenage boy who was known to him in Mona Vale in 2017
A spokesperson for the NSW Liberal Party denied any knowledge of Amon's charges prior to Friday, when he was arrested and charged.
They also denied any 'conspiracy' surrounding Amon's pre-selection and said he was the only candidate because he was the only one who nominated himself in time.
The NSW Liberals faced criticism in August when it was revealed they failed to get about 150 candidates to the electoral commission before the deadline.
Amon's application was one of the 300 that was submitted in time, but he complied with a request to resign his seat following the charges on Friday.
They include five counts of having sexual intercourse with person over the age of 10 and under 14, and two counts of attempted sexual intercourse with a child over 10 and under 14.
There were also two counts of indecent assault on a person under 16 and committing an act of indecency with a person under 16.
Pictured: Kyle Kutasi, who claimed NSW Liberal Party ensured Amon was the only candidate for Pittwater
His lawyers had tried to ban the media from identifying him and reporting the allegations, but the application was withdrawn and dismissed in Manly Local Court.
He then released a statement maintaining his innocence.
'I deny all charges, and will make my case in the courts, not in the media. Accordingly, I will make no further comment on the case,' he said.
'The nature of the charges against me are such that I will be unable to continue to fully represent my community in parliament.
'As a result, I have tendered my resignation as the Member for Pittwater, effective immediately.'
On Sunday, he reported for bail at Dee Why Police Station just before the deadline at 8pm - holding his bail papers and sporting what appeared to be a fresh haircut.
His matter will return to court on August 30.
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