NSW sex crimes police submit evidence to prosecutors in case involving MP Gareth Ward

Sex crimes detectives in New South Wales have submitted a brief of evidence to prosecutors over allegations made against state MP Gareth Ward.

NSW police confirmed on Thursday that a brief had been submitted to the state’s director of public prosecutions following an investigation into alleged “sexual violence-related offences against a 39-year-old man”.

The allegations relate to two incidents – one in 2013 involving a man who was then aged 25 and a second in 2015 involving a teenage boy who was 17 at the time.

“New South Wales Police have now submitted a brief of evidence to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to those individual matters,” the force said in a statement. “Investigations are continuing and no further information is available.”

Police revealed the establishment of Strike Force Condello in May, releasing a statement saying detectives from the child abuse and sex crimes squad were investigating “allegations of sexual violence-related offences against a 39-year-old man”.

Ward, the member for Kiama, revealed himself as the subject of the investigation and stepped down from his role as minister for families and from the Liberal party room. He said in a statement at the time he would sit on the crossbench “until the matter was resolved”.

“Today I have been made aware by a journalist of an investigation into me by NSW police,” Ward said in May. At

the time he said he had not yet been contacted by police and denied “any wrongdoing”.

The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said at the time she had only been made aware of the investigation through media reports. Berejiklian said she supported Ward’s decision to step aside.

“I have subsequently received advice from minister Gareth Ward of his decision to step aside as minister and sit on the crossbench while there is speculation about his future,” she said at the time.