NSW AHA chief quits ahead of probe

Former Liberal fundraiser Paul Nicolaou has resigned as chief executive of the NSW branch of the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) just a week before the resumption of a corruption inquiry.

Mr Nicolaou quit his AHA post on Wednesday morning.

He stepped down as chairman of the Liberal party's fundraising arm, the Millennium Forum, in April after it emerged he was aware the Liberal-linked Free Enterprise Foundation was being used to wash suspicious donations.

Mr Nicolaou also took personal leave from the AHA in April.

The ICAC resumes its hearings into Operation Spicer on August 6.