Former NSW MP Ernest Wong says Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo volunteered to personally deliver a "big bag" of money raised at a Labor fundraiser to the party's head office.
Mr Wong told the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Monday he was left with a bag of donations worth tens of thousands of dollars on the night of a Chinese Friends of Labor dinner in 2015.
The NSW ALP's director of community relations had gone and Mr Wong said Mr Huang offered to take the bag of cash with him.
He said the property developer - who was prohibited by law from making donations to NSW political parties - told him he was due to meet with the NSW Labor's general secretary.
"I gave him that bag of money to take it to the head office," Mr Wong said.
Then-Labor leader Bill Shorten, Luke Foley and Huang Xiangmo during a 2015 Labor fundraiser. Source: ICAC / Ernest Wong
ICAC is examining whether Mr Huang was the true source of $100,000 said to be donated by 12 people from the 2015 dinner.
Asked if he thought it strange that a billionaire was offering to do a delivery run, Mr Wong said 'no' - adding that Mr Huang probably wanted to give the impression he helped.
He again denied an allegation by counsel assisting the inquiry, Scott Robertson, that he sold seats at the dinner's head table to Mr Huang for $100,000.
Mr Wong also denied engaging in a scheme to get people to sign disclosure forms when he knew they didn't contribute a cent in connection with the dinner.
"You did that because you wanted to ensure that you had sufficient disclosure forms so that the $100,000 would be backed in NSW Labor and Country Labor and that that money would be received by the party," Mr Robertson said.
Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo was expelled from Australia by ASIO last year over foreign influence concerns. Source: UTS News Room
"No. Not at all," Mr Wong replied.
The inquiry continues.
