A sacked CEO, a bungling detective and a jar of fingers: Five things we learnt from Operation Rosny week four

See what we learnt from week three of Operation Rosny here.

A three-day week of evidence at the ICAC began with revelations former Catholic Schools NSW chief executive Dallas McInerney had wiped his phone and iPad at a pub over the weekend and ended with an unscheduled press conference by an impassioned former police minister David Elliott on the street outside the commission’s CBD base.

Here are five things we learnt.

1. McInerney sacked after factory reset

Move over Royal Oaks, there’s a new pub of interest to the Independent Commission Against Corruption. The Hunters Hill Hotel was the place McInerney repaired to after last week’s appearance at the inquiry into allegations of corruption.

There he discovered his bank account did not work. That was the start of a chain of events that led to him telling the ICAC on Wednesday that he had factory reset his work iPhone and iPad.

Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer, SC, suggested it was a “transparent attempt to wipe evidence”, which McInerney denied.

McInerney said he handed his devices back to Catholic Schools NSW because he understood it was unlikely he would be returning to work. It was a prescient observation.

McInerney learnt on Friday morning he had been sacked as chief executive by the board of Catholic Schools NSW.

2. With friends like these …

Eleni Petinos, a former minister for fair trading and small business in the Perrottet government, told the ICAC she was disgusted by the thought that she was being used in a plot to remove building commissioner David Chandler from office.

She told the inquiry she now believes that Chris Spence, the former chief of staff to Anthony Roberts, leant on his friendship with her to get Chandler sacked.

“Frankly, even the little I knew coming into here today is enough to leave me disgusted and to feel like personal relationships were leant on in a highly improper way, and that’s not someone that you would call a friend,” she said.

Petinos was herself sacked as a minister by Dominic Perrottet after bullying allegations in 2022, and appeared on the verge of tears at the inquiry while recounting the phone call in which Dominic Perrottet delivered the news.

“He was very, very cold. He was immovable.”

3. The jar with fingers

Petinos offered a taste of the former building commissioner David Chandler’s “robust” style in her evidence to the inquiry. Chandler, who is not a person of interest to the inquiry, was the target of a campaign by fugitive property developer Jean Nassif, who is.

“Chandler had bravado about conducting meetings with [a] jar with fingers in it and putting it on tables to indicate what he would do to people if they acted outside the confines of the law.”

This ghoulish anecdote was not explored further, with Petinos going on to say she respected Chandler’s professional judgment and gave no serious weight to suggestions he was “dodgy”.

Chandler is due to appear as a witness to the ICAC inquiry next week. Whether he brings his jar remains to be seen.

4. Private detective stalked wrong house

The inquiry earlier heard evidence of an intimidation and smear campaign against former police minister David Elliott, including false assertions that Elliott was having an affair.

The false claim emerged in part from surveillance undertaken by private detective Shane De Kauwe, whom the ICAC alleges was paid by Nassif. But the one-time Australian Federal Police officer made a series of errors, including monitoring a house Elliott no longer lived in.

“In hindsight, I probably should have taken more action against it,” Elliott told the ICAC. “Is it morally reprehensible for somebody to monitor a cabinet minister based on gossip and innuendo and repeat it? Yes. But you can see by the fact that he was monitoring the wrong house, I probably had very little reason to be worried.”

5. The happiest ICAC witness ever

It’s fair to say Elliott enjoyed his day at the ICAC.

As well as detailing what he knew of the intimidation campaign allegedly launched at him by Nassif, he laid waste to all and sundry on Friday, calling Opus Dei a “cult” that was taking over Liberal branches, and even speculating that he was removed as police minister because Nassif was busted with cocaine at Star City Casino in 2019.

He gave an impromptu press conference outside the ICAC, telling reporters he would take legal action against those who had smeared him. “I must say also, it feels weird to be the first Liberal to ever be very happy to appear before ICAC.”

What we expect from next week

The ICAC is back on Monday, with Christopher Spence, the former chief of staff to ex-planning minister Anthony Roberts, due to give evidence. The ICAC heard claims this week that Spence leant on his friendship with Petinos to push for Chandler’s removal from office.

The inquiry is not sitting on Tuesday, but on Wednesday Anita Perrottet, wife of Charles Perrottet, is due to appear. Anita Perrottet was mentioned in the ICAC counsel assisting’s opening address as being the director of a company that received funds from Nassif.

Chandler is scheduled to take the witness stand on Thursday, while Anita’s husband Charles is slated to appear on Friday.

Charles Perrottet is considered a person of interest at the inquiry because the ICAC is investigating if he was involved in a plot to solicit donations from Nassif to support Liberal Party factional work, and in exchange would pursue Nassif’s interests.

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