Source : the age
Faulty towers weren’t the only defects in disgraced developer Jean Nassif’s playbook of destructive dealings, a corruption inquiry has revealed.
Nassif, who has fled to Lebanon, has loomed large at the ICAC’s hearings, living up to the moniker “The Godfather” that he gave himself in a taped call referred to in the opening address.
But in a surprise twist in an already dramatic tale, the commission revealed late on Thursday that Nassif will appear as a witness by video link next Friday.
Yesterday afternoon after David Chandler finished giving his evidence, the ICAC staff dropped a bombshell — fugitive property developer Jean Nassif will appear before the ICAC to tell his side of the story.
Nassif fled Australia in 2022 and police have since zeroed in on the property developer for serious fraud allegations relating to loans he secured to prop up his failing company Toplace.
The wanted man has refused to return to Australia to face arrest. Instead, Nassif is set to give evidence to the ICAC via video link.
The corruption inquiry is investigating if Nassif made illegal donations to Liberal Party figures, who in exchange worked to pursue Nassif’s goals of removing Chandler from office and damaging the political career of David Elliott.
Chandler told the ICAC on Thursday that Nassif made a threatening phone call to him while the building commissioner was investigating defects in his buildings, and said words to the effect of “if you harm my project I’ll harm you”.
The ICAC doesn’t have the power to compel witnesses from overseas, but as with all persons of interest Nassif was extended the invitation to answer questions. The commission also wants to speak to another person of interest overseas, Christian Ellis, but has so far been unsuccessful.
Hello and welcome to today’s live coverage of the ICAC’s Operation Rosny public hearings.
I’m state political reporter Jessica McSweeney, and with a team of the Herald’s senior writers, we’ll be bringing you all the latest news as it happens from the corruption inquiry.
Today Anita Perrottet and her husband Charles are both expected to give evidence. Before the hearing begins, let’s take a look at what we covered yesterday:
- Jean Nassif allegedly threatened David Chandler when the then building commissioner was investigating one of his development projects, the ICAC heard.
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Chandler told the commission about the first time he met developer Nassif in person, at a site inspection at a Toplace development in Botany. Nassif became angry towards Chandler and “really laid it into me well and truly”, Chandler told the corruption inquiry.
- Chandler said Toplace employee Sharangan Maheswaran told him the company had received a shakedown email for $5 million, but did not say who sent the email. The apparent extortion attempt promised David Chandler would drop his action against Nassif’s projects if the money was received. Chandler is not accused of any wrongdoing.
- The former building commissioner told the inquiry he believed the intention of mentioning this shakedown was “about unsettling me”.
- Chandler said after an investigation into a video taken of him on a job site cleared him of wrongdoing, he still felt he had to resign because he feared he would lose the confidence of the minister, Eleni Petinos. He gave evidence that Petinos or her chief of staff had mentioned to him they knew a video existed. Chandler also said that two developers had referred him to ICAC for unsubstantiated claims.
