459:. Ngo's conflict with Newman and his close ties to Tran led to widespread rumours in the community that he was involved which were repeated by the media. Tran, who had led the gang since the age of 14, was assassinated on 7 August 1995. On the afternoon of Tran's funeral, Cabramatta shopkeepers closed their businesses as a sign of respect, an honour they had also given to Newman. Ngo became the focus of police attention after one of Tran's relatives made a statement to police that he had rejected an offer of $ 10,000 from Ngo to kill Newman. The case against Ngo was weak and, after Ngo provided information to police that led to the arrest of the informant, the task force investigating the Newman murder was disbanded.
435:. Ngo advocated a city from Taiwan, which was endorsed by councillors Lalich and Anwar Khoshaba; Newman, in line with official party policy, pushed for a city in China. A Taiwan relationship was against Australian Federal government policy, as Taiwan was not diplomatically recognised as a nation. According to former Cabramatta detective Tim Priest, Ngo had received a $ 117,000 cheque from Jin-Gou Chang of the Taipei Cultural Office in 1994. Newman learned of the transaction and accused Ngo, Lalich and Khoshaba of accepting funding from the Taiwanese government and stated that they should not be re-elected to the council, a position for which he received considerable support. The
382:'s population were immigrants. Around 25 percent were of Vietnamese descent while another 10 percent were of other Asian origins. Newman had been elected to the Fairfield council in 1977 and was known for his campaigns against Asian criminal gangs that were then a serious problem. At the time the media regularly portrayed Cabramatta as a "centre of criminality" and the heroin capital of Australia. Newman suspected Ngo took part in criminal dealings due to his involvement with the Mekong Club, which many believed to be
424:, arranged a meeting to resolve the dispute, during which Ngo agreed not to challenge Newman for pre-selection in exchange for Newman not challenging the credentials of members who joined Ngo's branch. At this time Newman was being targeted: his car had been paint bombed three times and he was receiving death threats. Publicly he blamed a gang, but privately he confided in acquaintances that he believed it was Ngo "and that gang of
405:, blamed Newman for the proposal and sued the newspaper. The case was settled out of court. In 1991, Ngo stood as an independent for the seat of Cabramatta and Newman, who was the sitting member, issued a press release questioning Ngo's refugee status. Ngo received only 11.7% of the vote, a result he blamed on his being Asian.
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community and, after arranging for Adler to invest $ 1 million, led the redevelopment of the local community centre, the Mekong Club. He was subsequently asked to be the club's president. From July 1990 to June 1993, Ngo served as a
Commissioner of the NSW Ethnic Affairs Commission. In 1990, he
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City sister city relationship was accepted despite only 100 Cabramatta citizens having
Taiwanese ancestry. On 1 June, the Labor State Electoral Council condemned Ngo and Lalich, stating that if they continued to breach Labor policy regarding China, they would both be expelled. Ngo was furious and
537:
Following the inquiry, calls were made to have Ngo's name removed from monuments in
Cabramatta. A former mayor and friend of Newman, Ken Chapman, claimed that this was unlikely to happen as Ngo had supporters on the council who had visited him in jail. Calls for the council to name a landmark in
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of the New South Wales
Supreme Court. The inquiry was overseen by former and Acting District Court judge, David Patten, and addressed several concerns raised as to the validity of the original conviction. On 17 April 2009, Patten ruled that the original conviction was sound.
267:, his family had their assets confiscated. Ngo made several unsuccessful attempts to flee the country and was jailed several times. In January 1981, he made his thirteenth attempt, which was successful, and he arrived in Australia via Malaysia as a refugee in 1982.
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in Ngo's case claimed that Ngo and Newman were political rivals who competed for the same seat in
Parliament. However, senior Labor figures, including Bosca, swore on oath that Ngo was not interested in Newman's seat but rather in a seat in the Legislative Council.
482:, a Coronial Inquest, three Supreme Court trials and a Judicial Inquiry. After seven years since Newman’s death, he was found guilty and was convicted by a jury on 29 June 2001. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole or review.
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community, which held prayer services for him in the hope that he would be acquitted of the murder. However, almost 300 leaders in the
Vietnamese community signed a petition to the Supreme Court requesting that Ngo be denied bail.
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refused special leave to hear an appeal in May 2004. Two of Ngo's co-accused conspirators, David Dinh and Tu Quang Dao were acquitted by the same jury. The identity of the shooter and the getaway driver remains unknown.
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In April 2005, China sponsored five
Fairfield Council members to visit the country in order to improve the relationship that had deteriorated due to Ngo's support of Taiwan.
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was elected deputy mayor of
Fairfield. The following year, Ngo was re-elected to Fairfield City Council at the September 1991 election and stood as an independent for the
280:: "I think we are welcome here. But we need a mutual understanding. Most people I talked to said we needed a Vietnamese on the council." The following year he partnered
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In an enquiry after Newman's death, but prior to charges being laid, evidence was heard that Newman considered the Mekong Club to be a "gambling den". The
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for the
Cabramatta gangs. According to his priest, Ngo had very strong opinions regarding Europeans, believing that they were all "stupid" and racist.
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A number of Ngo's supporters have stated that he was convicted on flimsy evidence. He was a prominent leader in the
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It was not the first murder of a parliamentarian. In 1921 another Labor MP in the NSW Legislative Assembly,
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was murdered on 5 September 1994. Within days, the leader of a gang, 19-year-old Tri Minh Tran, became the
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Lagan, Bernard (9 October 1987). "Councillor looks to integration". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 3.
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652:"Local Council Election Results - Fairfield". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 September 1991. p. 8.
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Ngo rose rapidly in local politics. On 26 September 1987, he was elected to the Cabramatta Ward of
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236:; born 1958) is an Australian former businessman and politician who was convicted of ordering the
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began openly approaching people who were not criminals for advice on acquiring guns and hiring a
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newspaper published an article regarding a proposal to add an inscription commemorating the
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http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/meagher-claims-supported/2008/11/09/1226165386550.html
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An inquiry was launched into Ngo's conviction on 6 June 2008, by order of Chief Justice
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In June 2003, evidence was found that Ngo was a member of the W2K (Willing To Kill)
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to wealthy parents and following university became a schoolteacher. Following the
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Ngo was arrested for Newman's murder on 13 March 1998, and following two
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honour of Newman have not proceeded so far, although a swimming pool in
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779:"John Newman murder: Phuong Ngo loses last appeal for life sentence"
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branch. This put him in direct competition with Newman, who ran the
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newspaper. As a city councillor, Ngo worked to help members of the
358:. Ngo was invited to join Labor and run the party's re-activated
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branch, despite previously agreeing not to challenge Newman for
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Following the election, Ngo joined Labor with the help of the
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Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by New South Wales
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Political assassin Phuong Ngo honoured all over Fairfield
16:
Vietnamese murderer, former businessman, and politician
573:"R v Ngo [2001] NSWSC 1021 (14 November 2001)"
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On Deadly Ground: The Assassination of John Newman MP
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for Ngo to join Labor, Grace arranged a meeting with
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350:(MLC), he could be a potential "counter" to the
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868:"Inquiry called into assassination conviction"
284:to set up Asia Press Pty Ltd, which published
988:People convicted of murder by New South Wales
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953:Australian politicians of Vietnamese descent
378:According to the 1991 census, 70 percent of
948:Australian politicians convicted of crimes
748:"Ngo found guilty of Newman assassination"
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895:"Ngo did mastermind MP's murder: inquiry"
156:26 September 1987 – 30 June 1993
127:September 1990 – September 1991
1013:Australian politicians of Asian descent
754:. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
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344:Speaker of the House of Representatives
943:Australian people convicted of murder
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1008:Deputy mayors of places in Australia
870:. Australia: ABC News. 6 June 2008.
893:Jacobsen, Geesche (17 April 2009).
613:from the original on 6 January 2012
316:After his friend and council ally,
905:from the original on 18 April 2009
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1003:New South Wales local councillors
978:Vietnamese emigrants to Australia
758:from the original on 31 July 2016
579:from the original on 20 July 2022
494:, leading to his transfer to the
177:1 July 1993 – March 1998
874:from the original on 4 July 2008
803:Gilling, Tom (7 February 2009).
777:Bibby, Paul (12 December 2014).
998:Politicians convicted of murder
571:Dunford J (26 November 2001).
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420:. The ALP general secretary,
926:Fairfield Advance 6 May 2009
496:Goulburn Correctional Centre
448:Assassination of John Newman
431:In 1994, Fairfield wanted a
395:Chinese Communist Revolution
25:when mentioning individuals.
642:EAC Annual Report 1991-1992
233:[ŋow˧˧kan˨˩˦fɨəŋ˧˧]
41:1958 (age 65–66)
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303:May 1991 state election
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55:Businessman, politician
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470:, by a psychotic man.
428:" at the Mekong Club.
272:Fairfield City Council
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200:Australian Labor Party
163:Fairfield City Council
142:Fairfield City Council
97:"never to be released"
973:Criminals from Sydney
320:, approached Federal
294:Vietnamese Australian
247:on 5 September 1994.
601:(17 November 2005).
855:The Daily Telegraph
698:Cold Blooded Murder
389:In 1990, the local
348:Legislative Council
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290:Vietnamese language
263:and the end of the
166:for Cabramatta Ward
145:for Cabramatta Ward
852:The Orient express
701:Hachette Australia
575:. austlii.edu.au.
391:Fairfield Champion
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299:seat of Cabramatta
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720:Tim Priest
540:Prairiewood
520:prosecution
492:prison gang
453:John Newman
433:sister city
410:Labor Right
360:Canley Vale
318:Nick Lalich
311:John Newman
265:Vietnam War
245:John Newman
202:(1993–1998)
197:(1987–1993)
195:Independent
937:Categories
805:"Fair cop"
666:Cabramatta
603:"SuperMax"
558:References
414:Labor Left
380:Cabramatta
336:Leo McLeay
221:Vietnamese
814:4 January
711:Pg 3 – 36
617:4 January
486:Aftermath
480:mistrials
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325:Ted Grace
251:Biography
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152:In office
123:In office
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286:Dan Viet
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329:Senator
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340:Watson
87:Murder
72:Motive
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307:Labor
132:Mayor
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