Jean-Claude Perrottet given ‘kickback’ from Catholic Schools NSW contract, ICAC hears

Lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood gave his best mate Jean-Claude Perrottet “kickbacks” from a Catholic Schools NSW contract he secured because he wanted his to boost his friend’s income, a corruption inquiry has heard.

Greenwood on Wednesday continued his third day of evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption about allegedly illegal donations from the peak body governing diocesan schools in NSW.

The commission heard that Perrottet managed to secure a contract from Catholic Schools NSW for his mate Greenwood in 2021, after the lobbyist set up his own consultancy firm JPG Advisory earlier that year.

Greenwood told the commission that to reward Perrottet, who had a good relationship with Catholic Schools NSW boss Dallas McInerney, he agreed to pay him 50 per cent of JPG Advisory’s ongoing retainer.

He insisted that even though Perrottet, a key member of right-wing Catholic group the Reformers, was employed at Medallion Financial, his salary was only about $50,000.

Greenwood said he wanted to help his best mate boost his income. He also said he agreed to give Reformers’s co-founder Robert Assaf a one-off payment of 10 per cent of the retainer.

Counsel assisting Dr Peggy Dwyer, SC, asked Greenwood how he accounted for Perrottet’s “kickbacks”.

Greenwood told the commission he would have no issues claiming invoices from Perrottet as a business expense for tax purposes because he believed the 50 per cent fee for securing a client was a fair “commission structure”.

“It could say he bought a flamingo off me. It’s just an internal document only for me, it’s how I process it out that matters,” Greenwood told the commission.

Earlier, Dwyer asked Greenwood why he had not secured the Catholic Schools NSW contract himself, given there was a previous arrangement with the organisation and his former firm Beckington.

The commission has heard McInerney terminated Catholic Schools NSW’s contract with Beckington after concerns from the board of the education body that it was not getting value for money.

Greenwood said Perrottet had acted as his “agent” to convince McInerney to sign up with JPG Advisory.

The lobbyist also urged his Beckington business partner Christian Ellis to pay Perrottet from their Beckington business account after Perrottet complained about not being compensated for Reformers work.

After receiving a string of messages from Perrottet, including the complaint “I left my job under the pretense I would get paid”, Greenwood told Ellis that Perrottet should get paid because of the money coming in from “Concord”.

Concord was the codename Greenwood used to refer to now disgraced property developer Jean Nassif, who was a client of Beckington.

“You need to give Claude this full amount. Considering what Concord gives, it’s not right,” the message from Greenwood to Ellis said.

Greenwood told the commission he did not recall any of this, and guessed he was being sympathetic to his friend but was not aware of any arrangement for Perrottet to receive money for Reformers work through Beckington.

The inquiry continues.