Western Australia’s deputy Liberal leader, Libby Mettam, has demanded a “fulsome and transparent” explanation from Labor MP Jagadish Krishnan and Premier Roger Cook over alleged hospitality and travel benefits linked to a 2024 trip to New York.
The scrutiny follows a lawsuit brought in New Jersey by American businessman Kannan Amalraj and his company, Kenyan Consulting LLC, over an alleged $1 million loan to Codd Technologies, a business solely owned by Krishnan’s wife, Yaamini Jagadish.
Amalraj claims the loan was intended to be repaid within a year. Krishnan has rejected that account, saying the agreement provided for repayment over nine years, and has vowed to “vigorously” defend the case.
He is also suing Amalraj for defamation in the Western Australia Supreme Court over emails sent earlier this year to colleagues including Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson, in which Amalraj detailed the financial dispute.
Amalraj has alleged that he spent about US$5,000 on Krishnan’s accommodation, transport and a dinner cruise on the Hudson River. Those expenses do not appear in the Riverton MP’s parliamentary disclosure register.
Mettam said the unanswered questions raised serious concerns about transparency and integrity in parliamentary declarations.
“I think that the fact that there still are outstanding questions in relation to disclosures should ring alarm bells,” she said.
“We are talking about transparency when it comes to parliamentary disclosures, and it is up to the premier and the member for Riverton to be absolutely transparent in their explanation as to why potentially matters have not been disclosed when there is an obligation to do so.”
Western Australia’s Members of Parliament (Financial Disclosures) Act 1992 requires MPs to declare gifts worth $500 or more. It also requires disclosure of financial contributions towards travel, unless the contribution was made in the ordinary course of the member’s trade, profession or vocation.
Krishnan said last week that he had complied with the requirements and had done nothing improper.
“I’ve done everything appropriately in my declarations. My personal declarations have been done appropriately. I’m confident. I’ve done the appropriate thing,” he said.
He declined to discuss the declarations further, saying they were connected to an active legal matter. Krishnan has maintained that the New York trip was private rather than parliamentary and that he was helping his wife.
Mr Cook said he could not comment on the disclosures while the legal proceedings were continuing. He said he had become aware of the US lawsuit during the previous week and would leave allegations about hospitality and other gifts to the courts.
“I require all MPs to uphold the very highest levels of standards that meet both the criteria and guidelines that we work within, but also in terms of community standards, and that applies to everyone,” the premier said.
Geoffrey Watson, director of the Centre for Public Integrity, said MPs should treat their parliamentary role as their full-time employment, while allowing for a minor business interest that did not distract from their duties.
Krishnan resigned from directorships in his related businesses after entering politics and remains the sole shareholder in his family company, Srishanna Pty Ltd. The company was a major shareholder in Spectrum Health Group, a network of GP clinics co-founded by Krishnan, which was sold in a multimillion-dollar deal last week.
