Former councillor Marie Simone, who avoided a conviction after pleading guilty to obtaining money by deception, is expected to be chosen in the Liberal team to contest the Surtherland Shire Council election on September 10.
Ms Simone is tipped to win second spot behind Carol Provan on the Liberal ticket in A Ward when preselection takes place on Sunday.
Former mayor Kent Johns will be the party’s top candidate in B Ward, and the present mayor Camelo Pesce and deputy mayor Hassan Awada will fill the top spots in D ward and C ward respectively.
Present councillors Tracy Cook and Tom Croucher are likely to be the number two candidates in B and C wards.
Veteran councillor Steve Simpson could be in danger in E Ward, where he is opposed by sitting councillor John Riad, Stephen Nikolovski and Matthew Versi.
It is understood Scott Williams, a member of the present council, was keen to seek another term, but it was made clear to him by factional leaders he had no chance of being preselected.
Liberal Party rules prevented Ms Simone commenting on her court case during the preselection process.
However, her husband Rene Licata said Ms Simone was the victim of unscrupulous bank lenders, and this had been recognised by the magistrate, who gave her a “Section 10” in not recording a conviction.
Mr Licata said the magistrate found she had been naive and was taken advantage of by others when she sought a bank loan to buy stock for her Cronulla fashion boutique.
She had signed loan documents, not knowing they contained false information, he said.
Mr Licata was seeking a copy of the magistrate’s comments, and said he would provide “the full story of how innocent people were caught in the web of certain bank representatives during the global financial crisis.”
Ms Simone, a Cronulla businesswoman, was charged in 2014 with four counts of obtaining money by deception.
She pleaded not guilty at her first appearance in Downing Centre Local Court in April 2014, where the matter was adjourned.
Court documents show, on July 14, 2014,Ms Simone pleaded guilty to “the offence - obtain money etc by deception, $15,000”.
A plea of guilty was accepted.
Ms Simone was found guilty and, without a conviction being recorded, was given a 12 months’ good behaviour bond under Section 10(1)(b) of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999.
A senior Liberal Party source said Ms Simone’s nomination was closely scrutinised under its normal processes.
Ms Simone was an Independent on the council from April 2004 until September 2008, and failed to win a second term.
She operated a fashion boutique in Cronulla Street from 1985 until 2011 when she opened a restaurant, Simone’s on the Park, overlooking the beach.
The business closed, and is now a fitness centre.
Ms Simone was charged in February 2014 following an investigation by detectives from State Crime Command’s fraud and cybercrime squad.
Strike Force McMaster investigated alleged widespread equipment finance fraud involving fake invoices.
Three men, who were not named and alleged to be principals in the matter, were dealt with separately in court.