A woman who borrowed up to $180,000 from colleagues over a year on behalf of her brother says she thought she was paying her niece's legal fees.
Carmen Attard has told the Independent Commission Against Corruption she believed her brother, RailCorp executive Joseph Camilleri, when he said his daughter Jessica Adouni was a victim of identity theft and needed the money to reclaim her name in court.
The ICAC is investigating whether those who contributed to the $1.5 million Mr Camilleri and Ms Attard raised for his gambling-addict daughter received any personal or professional benefit.
Ms Addard said she was not suspicious of her brother when he asked for $30,000 over a four week period in early 2012.
"He was distressed, he was my brother and I wanted to help him," Ms Addard said of Mr Camilleri.
She later said she had only seen her niece about five times between January 2012 and now.
She told the commission her brother had told her his daughter had had her ID stolen at a party and was legally battling the banks to clear her name.
"She had to clear her name," Ms Attard said.
Later she said she became suspicious when the requests for cash increased on the basis Ms Adouni's lawyers needed more money to continue their legal proceedings.
Mr Camilleri, a 37-year employee with RailCorp, was on a $300,000 per year salary, the commission was told.
He had already used up his long service leave to raise money for his daughter.
"He had exhausted all his resources," Ms Attard said.
Earlier the commission heard Mr Camilleri was 'looked up to" by staff at RailCorp.
One colleague of Mr Camilleri's, Ray Furfaro, said he did not feel pressured by Mr Camilleri to lend him money but rather felt obliged.
"Mainly he was looked up to as a leader and a guider," Mr Furfaro said.
Hearings continue before Commissioner Megan Latham.
