Source : the age
A lobbyist being investigated by the state’s corruption watchdog says invoices sent under a fake name were just “silly humour” and not part of an elaborate scheme to hide illegal donations.
Jeremy Greenwood also told the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Tuesday he had a phone call earlier that morning with another key person of interest in the Operation Rosny inquiry, Christian Ellis, but struggled to recall details of the exchange.
The ICAC is investigating several allegations against Greenwood, including that he agreed to share in a $2 million bribe from fugitive developer Jean Nassif, and that his company Beckington was used to wash funds from Catholic Schools NSW to support the work of a conservative sub-faction known as the Reformers.
Asked about an invoice sent from Beckington to Catholic Schools NSW in 2020, the lobbyist and one-time political operative conceded the person who sent the email, “Jessica”, was a fake name made up by his business partner Christian Ellis.
“He just thought it was funny,” Greenwood said.
Counsel assisting the commission, Dr Peggy Dwyer, SC, replied: “I’m not getting the joke.”
Greenwood then explained he and Ellis had “silly humour, sorry”.
Catholic schools funding in spotlight
Payments from Catholic Schools NSW to Greenwood’s two companies, Beckington and JPG Advisory, form a central plank of the ICAC’s claim that sham invoices were used to support the Reformers’ work in stacking branches across Sydney.
Catholic Schools NSW ultimately paid Beckington $130,900 over two years.
“The commission has found no evidence of services being undertaken by Beckington for Catholics Schools NSW between August 2019 and August 2021,” Dwyer said.
Greenwood responded: “A lot of work was done verbally, in person in the office. I just can’t recall it. I know it was happening.”
Catholic Schools NSW chief executive and fellow Reformer Dallas McInerney is due to give evidence at the ICAC on Wednesday and Thursday.
Greenwood was also pressed on how much money Beckington paid to Jean-Claude Perrottet to cover him for doing Reformers work. Greenwood said he had given some money to the younger brother of former premier Dominic Perrottet but could not recall why, how much, or when.
Dwyer then asked Greenwood if he discussed his evidence with anyone overnight, including the issue of payments to Jean-Claude.
He revealed Ellis, Greenwood’s Beckington business partner who moved to the United Kingdom this year, called him about 6am on Tuesday on the encrypted app Signal.
Ellis, according to Greenwood, wanted to know the commission’s reaction to Greenwood revealing that his overseas-based mate would be prepared to provide evidence to the commission.
Greenwood told Ellis that it was “noted” by the commission. He said he could not remember much about the phone call, even though it had occurred less than five hours earlier.
The ICAC has previously said Ellis has declined to assist its inquiry.
$1000 payments in doubt
On Monday, Greenwood told the commission that Reformer and fellow Liberal operative Jean-Claude Perrottet had received “$1000 payments” to answer Greenwood’s phone while he was overseas for three weeks.
Greenwood said given the timezone differences, he did not want to be woken up by calls from Australia nor did he want clients to hear the international dialtone when trying to contact him.
Dwyer returned to the issue on Tuesday, stating to Greenwood: “Aren’t you just making that up now to try and justify why you said that you were paying Jean-Claude Perrottet money to divert the phones?”
Greenwood responded: “I am not making anything up in this process.”
The inquiry continues.
Bevan Shields is a senior writer, and former editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
Alexandra Smith is a senior writer and former state political editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.
