Prosecutors have alleged a Queensland barrister provided cash, meals and "sexual services from prostitutes" to then Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale in return for assisting a property development.
Sam Di Carlo, 66, faced the first day of evidence at his trial on one count of official corruption in Brisbane District Court on Thursday.
In her opening statement, crown prosecutor Sarah Farndon told the jury that Di Carlo had a friendship with Pisasale while he was mayor of Ipswich and both men became involved with Melbourne property developer Chris Pinzone.
Pinzone wanted to turn a 14-hectare block of land at Yamanto, south of Ipswich, into a commercial development around the end of 2016 until Paul Pisasale resigned as mayor on June 6, 2017.
"Discussions between (the Yamanto block's owner) and Chris Pinzone about the development had apparently stalled ... until Sam Di Carlo and Paul Pisasale became involved," Ms Farndon said.
"The Crown alleges this was a corrupt relationship between (Di Carlo, Pinzone and Pisasale)," she said.
"Sam Di Carlo and Chris Pinzone gave, and offered to give, Paul Pisasale various benefits in the form of paying for dinner and drinks, organising and paying for the provision of sexual services from prostitutes, giving him some cash and ... a share in future profit."
Ms Farndon said the behaviour was corrupt as a mayor as a public official should not be taking gifts from developers and in return promote their development application within the mayor's own council.
The jurors were told they would listen to 247 intercepted phone calls and a few text messages that would likely span 15 hours.
"The trial is based significantly on inference from what was said on calls. They were reluctant to openly talk about these matters on the phone," Ms Farndon said.
Ms Farndon said Di Carlo did not have to be in on every call and meeting or be aware of every detail to be found guilty as a member of a group for unlawful common purpose.
Di Carlo's barrister Saul Holt in his opening said the "actual evidence is literally non-existent" that his client had ever given cash or business shares to, or paid for sex workers on behalf of, Pisasale as mayor of Ipswich.
"It is distasteful, and you will hear it and it will be awful, talk about prostitutes and the arrangements for sex workers in Melbourne and Brisbane ... but there is absolutely no evidence that anyone paid for Mr Pisasale to have those sexual services," Mr Holt said.
"The use of prostitutes was something Mr Pisasale had as a long-standing interest ... arranging it is not wrong. There is not a shred of evidence it was paid for."
Mr Holt said meals and gifts provided by Pinzone were disclosed and Pisasale was simply fighting against bureaucrats and red tape to bring new businesses to his council in the manner that had made him "one of the most popular mayors in Australian history".
The key players have had their phones recorded and been followed by police but this is all they have got ... innuendo and speculation," Mr Holt said.
The jury was played phone calls in which Di Carlo told Pisasale he had requested a "girlfriend experience" on his behalf from a sex worker.
During another call Pisasale told the Yamanto block's owner he would take a "personal interest" in its development and "I'm going to guide it".
The trial continues before District Court Chief Judge Brian Devereaux.
