Venomous views, money for jam and a shock guest star: Five things we learnt from week five of ICAC

See what we learnt from Operation Rosny week four here.

It might be niche programming, but ICAC After Dark delivers. When the Independent Commission Against Corruption sits long past its usual hours of 4pm, they are driving towards a point.

On Friday, the commission sat past 5pm when counsel assisting Dr Peggy Dwyer, SC, asked Charles Perrottet about one of the key allegations: that branch-stacking among the Liberals in The Hills Shire Council was done to further the interests of property developer Jean Nassif, who is now a wanted man.

Five weeks into the blockbuster inquiry and the revelations keep coming. Here are five things we learnt this week.

Spence had a dim view of Whitelaw

Two of the witnesses worked in the office of former planning minister Anthony Roberts, but their evidence was not exactly flattering of each other. Chris Spence, who was chief of staff to Roberts, has denied pushing for David Chandler’s removal from the role of NSW Building Commissioner.

But he had some choice words for Dylan Whitelaw, who was also in Roberts’ office and a member of the Reformers right-wing sub-faction. Whitelaw had told the ICAC Spence wanted then-fair trading minister Eleni Petinos to do something with a supposedly damaging video of David Chandler, but came into his office one day and said words to the effect of “Eleni f—ed it up”.

Spence said that evidence was not correct, and pointed out he worked in Parliament House while Whitelaw worked at 52 Martin Place.

“Dylan Whitelaw was not in a position that every time I walked into the office, I would just disclose things like that and rant and rave. He is delusional. It did not happen.”

Money for jam

Anita Perrottet did a lot of her work verbally, she told the inquiry. She denied lying under oath to cover for her husband Charles, who is a person of interest to the inquiry.

The ICAC is investigating whether invoices paid to her company were not for genuine work, but as a way to hide payment made by Jean Nassif to her husband. She denies this.

And there was the curious matter of Charles Perrottet attending a lunch at Jean Nassif’s home, to which he brought the children, but Anita Perrottet said she was not aware of this.

The ICAC heard evidence she received significant lump sum payments, which included more than $250,000 in a three-month period for her advice. Perrottet insisted this was for genuine work.

Dwyer suggested Perrottet was being paid “money for jam”, referring to the $10,000 a month she invoiced for “starting conversations about greyhounds”. Perrottet replied: “I was working, yes.”

Hell on Earth

Chandler’s appearance was interesting because he is the alleged victim of Nassif’s plot to remove him from office. He told the inquiry Nassif threatened him while he was investigating one of Nassif’s buildings.

Chandler told the commission about the first time he met developer Nassif in person, at a site inspection of a Toplace development in Botany. Nassif became angry and “really laid it into me well and truly”, Chandler told the corruption inquiry.

Chandler also served as a reminder that the victims were those who bought into Nassif’s Toplace developments.

“It was hell on Earth and I just felt it was appropriate … to remind everybody that while this is all about people who were on the ascension to heaven and political purpose, at the back end of this there was a whole bunch of their constituents that were hurting, and they were in a world of pain,” he said outside the commission.

You can dial in to give evidence

Christian Ellis has so far declined to take up the opportunity to appear at the inquiry, even though the ICAC has said he could appear via video link. Presiding commissioner Fabian Gleeson, SC, has even made a pointed plea to Ellis, “if you’re listening”, to take the opportunity.

One man who has apparently seized the invitation is Nassif, who is slated to appear next Friday.

The property developer fled Australia in December 2022 to hide in a small village in northern Lebanon. As he is overseas, the ICAC does not have the power to compel him to appear; however, as with all persons of interest, he was invited to give evidence.

Perrottet v Elliott

Charles Perrottet has told the ICAC he wanted his brother Dominic to dump David Elliott from cabinet when he became premier.

His wife, Anita Perrottet, asked Charles: “Did Dom confirm that he isn’t going to give Elliott a ministry?”

In reply, Charles Perrottet wrote: “We execute the prick as soon as the party room is over”.

Perrottet told the corruption inquiry he wanted Elliott gone because “I was pretty annoyed at the time of the way David handled himself”.

He earlier told the commission Elliott had run an “anyone but Dom” campaign against his brother.

More to come

Next week we’re due to hear from Charles Perrottet again on Monday and Tuesday, before Jeremy Greenwood is recalled on Thursday and Friday. All eyes, however, are expected to be on Nassif’s appearance later on Friday.

Read more from Sydney’s best coverage of ICAC’s Operation Rosny