Former NSW minister Tony Kelly charged with altering a 2010 cabinet minute to benefit a private water company linked to former figure Eddie Obeid.

Former NSW minister Tony Kelly, 77, faces misconduct charges over allegations he altered a 2010 cabinet minute to favor Australian Water Holdings, a private water company linked to former Labor figure Eddie Obeid. The Crown’s key witness, Kelly’s former chief of staff Gilbert “Laurie” Brown, told the court he could not recall details due to health issues, despite phone records showing 13 calls between him and Obeid that year. Prosecutors argue Kelly falsely reversed a government recommendation against a public-private partnership with AWH, inserting misleading claims and scrubbing metadata to hide authorship, potentially costing taxpayers billions. Former premier Kristina Keneally testified Obeid admitted family ties to AWH and that Kelly complained about bureaucratic obstruction. The jury has begun deliberations.