CS Energy chief and former Brisbane lord mayor Jim Soorley tried to settle a legal dispute relating to allegations he received a $2,500 cash payment to lobby politicians to extend a restaurant lease.
Mr Soorley has been defending a civil action brought by businessman Neil Jedid, who operated the Wilson's Boathouse restaurant in a state-owned marina at Manly in Brisbane's east.
Mr Jedid alleged in his legal claim that in March 2018 he paid the former Labor politician to lobby state government ministers to obtain a longer lease on the restaurant property.
Mr Jedid's lease was not extended and in his legal claim filed with the Magistrate's Court in 2020 he sought to recover the $2,500 payment with interest.
He alleged in a statement of claim, lodged by his company Green Beacon Qld Pty Ltd, that Mr Soorley had engaged in misleading conduct under consumer law by misrepresenting himself as a lobbyist.
The allegation that Mr Soorley, as chairman of the government corporation CS Energy, had represented himself as a lobbyist in 2018 was controversial as government corporation directors cannot be lobbyists and all lobbyists must be listed on an official register.
Mr Soorley has vigorously denied the allegation, saying he ceased being a lobbyist when he took up the job as CS Energy chair in 2015.
His lawyers filed a defence stating Mr Soorley had never represented himself as a lobbyist and only acted as a consultant.
The defence stated Mr Soorley had provided valuable research and advice, including that Mr Jedid should have abandon plans to develop the restaurant as the government would seek commercial tenders for the lease.
On Friday April 14, Mr Soorley's lawyer confirmed they had sent a letter and a cheque for $3,836 to Mr Jedid's lawyers offering to settle the matter on a "purely commercial basis without any admission of liability".
Luke Giribon, representing Mr Soorley, said to date the cheque was yet to be cashed and his client was within his rights to apply to the court for a summary judgement and seek costs.
The offer stated the cheque was for $3,836.44 which included the $2,500 claimed amount, $558.29 in interest and $777.15 in costs.
"We consider this matter to be at an end and request that you attend to filing a notice of discontinuance at your earliest convenience,'' the letter stated.
It stated in default of filing a notice of discontinuance they were instructed to apply to the court for a summary judgement and to seek costs on a full indemnity basis
The letter, sent in November last year, was not on the court file when the ABC checked on Friday, April 14.
Mr Jedid's lawyer, Nathaniel Delaney, said the letter had been received following his requests to Mr Soorley's lawyers for a trial date.
He said the offer had been rejected on "the basis that the amount offered for payment of legal costs is insufficient".
"Accordingly, the proceeding is ongoing,'' he said in a statement to the ABC on Sunday.
Mr Jedid had alleged in his claim that he met Mr Soorley at his restaurant on March 5, 2018.
Claims Mr Soorley agreed to lobby transport minister
During the meeting Mr Soorley told him words to the effect that he was a registered lobbyist and could assist Mr Jedid in securing a longer lease on the property, the claim alleged.
Mr Jedid alleged that during the meeting Mr Soorley used a smart phone to call up a Wikipedia page showing he was a registered lobbyist.
He alleged Mr Soorley had agreed he would lobby transport minister Mark Bailey and then deputy premier Jackie Trad with regards to the lease.
They also allegedly agreed that Mr Jedid would pay Mr Soorley $2,500 which had to be paid before Mr Soorley left for a trip to Thailand.
Mr Jedid alleged he handed Mr Soorley an envelope with $2,500 cash while Mr Soorley sat his car in the carpark of the restaurant on about March 8, 2018.
Mr Soorley's lawyers responded to the claim by filing a defence arguing Mr Jedid was not entitled to the return of the $2,500 because their client had provided the contracted services under the terms of the Oral Consultancy Agreement.
"Further, the defendant's research, investigations and advice on issues relating to the status of the plaintiff's then lease and potential future lease with the State Government for the property provided the plaintiff with valuable commercial advice, '' the defence said.
It also said that this advice included that Mr Jedid should have abandoned his plans for expensive renovations as this would not have been prudent use of funds given the state government would and did proceed with seeking commercial tenders for long term lease of the restaurant.
Mr Soorley's defence stated that he made "commercial inquiries" with the then transport minister Mark Bailey who referred him to the relevant administering department, according to his defence filed in the court.
Mr Soorley has said he did not make any approaches to the then Deputy Premier Jackie Trad who also denied having any contact with Mr Soorley about the matter according to the defence.
He served as Brisbane lord mayor from 1991 to 2003 and in September 2020 retired from the board of the Sunshine Coast water business Unitywater which is jointly owned by the Noosa, Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay Regional Councils.
A former Catholic priest, Mr Soorley, 71, was also a director of mining company Terracom Limited from 2017 to 2020.
