A former Logan City councillor says lives were destroyed before a corruption probe into the council was dropped. 

Fraud charges were laid and eight former Logan City councillors were sacked in the wake of a 2019 Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) investigation.

The allegations of fraud related to the dismissal of CEO Sharon Kelsey in 2018.

It had been alleged that the councillors pushed the CEO out of her job after she cooperated with an investigation into corruption allegations involving members of the council.

However, the charges against the eight councillors were dropped last year due to insufficient evidence.

Trevina Schwarz - one of eight former Logan City councillors - has since told reporters that the ordeal took a major toll on her family, including relentless abuse from the public.

“My son was abused in Bunnings and asked to come outside so the fellow could fight him. It really was awful,” Ms Schwarz told ABC Radio Brisbane.

“You'd walk in a home where you'd lived for 30 years and people would look at you and point as you were walking down the street.

“You couldn't escape from it. It was on the news, it was on the radio, it was in the papers.

“It absolutely destroyed my life. And the toll that it also takes on your family is huge.”

She accused the CCC of failing to comply with its own rules. The comments come within days of Queensland corruption fighter Tony Fitzgerald’s new report into how corruption is investigated in the state, which specifically recommended the CCC consult with the state's Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) before laying charges to avoid “unwarranted impact”.

“Although there should be great and high protection for whistleblowers, first and foremost, you need to ensure that those complaints are factually correct and not malicious,” Ms Schwarz said. 

The eight sacked Logan City councillors are considering pursuing compensation from the state government. Some say they have struggled to find work since they were sacked due to the public attention on the initial charges. 

The Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) has called for “post-prosecution reviews of other failed cases launched by the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) against mayors and councillors”.

“The Logan matter is not the only failed prosecution launched by the CCC against elected members in recent history,” LGAQ chief executive Alison Smith said.

“The Commission of Inquiry has recommended the CCC work with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to develop a process for conducting post-prosecution reviews.

“We would urge this work to be undertaken as swiftly as possible.

“Further, we are calling for the CCC and the DPP to prioritise the review of other failed cases launched against elected members, so that any other instances of potential miscarriage of justice can be identified, rectified and processes put in place to ensure mistakes are never repeated.

“Livelihoods and reputations can be irreversibly impacted by the decisions important institutions like the CCC make.

“Queensland deserves a corruption watchdog [that] we can all have faith in, and making sure failed cases are reviewed and any lessons learned are key to this.”