In the closing minutes of a public hearing on Monday, counsel assisting the Independent Commission Against Corruption Scott Robertson said an alleged participant in Mr Maguire's "visa scheme" had not returned to Australia to appear.

Mr Maguire admitted to ICAC last year that he was part of a "scam" whereby Riverina businesses were paid cash to employ Chinese nationals on regional work visas who rarely if ever turned up to work.

The businesses had the cost of the workers' wages reimbursed by Mr Maguire's scheme, plus cash payments on top, while the Chinese nationals gained a pathway to citizenship.

According to documents and testimony at ICAC, the scheme's visa paperwork was allegedly handled by Yueming 'Monica' Hao, a registered migration agent in Sydney.

Mr Robertson tendered to the inquiry a statement from ICAC senior investigator Paul Grainger, which said Ms Hao was served a summons on July 7.

"Travel movement records from the Australian Border Force provided to the (ICAC) shows on 19 August 2021, Yueming Hao ... departed Australia on Emirates flight EK415 to Dubai," the statement said.

"At the time of writing this statement Ms Hao had not returned to Australia."

The statement said Ms Hao had not responded to requests to appear via teleconference.

The Department of Home Affairs, which includes the Border Force, did not respond to questions about Ms Hao's departure from Australia.

In other news

ICAC on Tuesday announced that witnesses at the inquiry will be able to make confidential written submissions in reply by February next year, which will be followed by a public report at a later stage.

Operation Keppel was established in 2018 to examine allegations that Mr Maguire used his public office for improper personal gain.

After public hearings last year revealed a secret close personal relationship between Mr Maguire and Ms Berejiklian, who was then NSW premier, the inquiry's scope was expanded to examine allegations against Ms Berejiklian.

At the public hearings last week, Ms Berejiklian steadfastly denied she should have declared a conflict of interest while taking part in decisions to award millions of dollars in grants to Wagga institutions, and denied she had suspicions about Mr Maguire that would have required her to make a report to ICAC.

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