KEY POINTS:
The town planner was a young and attractive blonde. They were ageing property developers with wives and families. But in an unusual twist on the classic scenario, the men allegedly provided sexual favours in exchange for her approval for illegal high-rise buildings.
The story, revealed in a public inquiry into claims of corruption in Wollongong, south of Sydney, has captivated Australians all week as messages between Beth Morgan, 32, and her lovers have been reproduced.
Morgan was said by one developer to be on a "mission to have sex with successful businessmen". Two of them, Frank Vellar and Glen Tabak, have admitted affairs with her; a third, Michael Kollaras, denied it.
Morgan's tortured love life came to light following an undercover sting by anti-corruption investigators. The revelations threaten to engulf the New South Wales state government of Morris Iemma, with five of his ministers linked to key figures in the affair.
Wollongong City Council sacked Morgan last year for "serious misconduct". She was involved in assessing or approving four major developments, worth more than $156 million.
- INDEPENDENT
