Source : Perth Now news
The fugitive developer at the centre of a major corruption inquiry is expected to return to the witness box on Tuesday after a fiery opening appearance before ICAC.
Jean Nassif has dismissed intercepted calls in which he boasted about his political influence as “all talk” and insisted the money he handed over was about survival, not buying outcomes.
Appearing by video link from Beirut, Mr Nassif began his evidence on Monday as Operation Rosny continued.
ICAC is examining allegations that Mr Nassif and his company Toplace were tied to prohibited political donations, despite developers being barred from donating in NSW, and he sought political help in return.
The inquiry is also looking at whether that money was connected to efforts to remove roadblocks to his projects, including former building commissioner David Chandler and former minister David Elliott.
The commission has made clear these are allegations only and no findings have been made.
Mr Nassif used much of Monday’s evidence to push back hard against the case being put to him.
He told the inquiry he had been introduced to political operatives Jeremy Greenwood and Christian Ellis, whom he repeatedly called “the boys”, after complaining to former prime minister Tony Abbott at a Liberal Party function about senior figures in the party’s centre-right faction.
According to Mr Nassif, Liberal figure Jean-Pierre Abood then pointed him towards Mr Greenwood and Mr Ellis.
The inquiry was told Mr Nassif agreed he had originally promised $1m if his developments could be helped through before that figure later rose to $2m.
But he insisted he did not believe the political promises being made to him.
“Look, to be honest with you, the boys said lots of stuff to convince me to pay,” Mr Nassif said.
Speaking about Charles Perrottet, the brother of former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet, Mr Nassif was blunter still, telling counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer: “I knew it’s all bulls–t just to take money.”
Among the most dramatic moments of Tuesday’s hearing was a phone intercept in which Mr Nassif declared: “I hold 50 per cent of the power of this government now, or more – 51, 52 per cent.”
Another call captured him boasting that “Jean Nassif is our godfather” and Mr Elliott was going to lose his seat.
Mr Nassif insisted those remarks were not true, describing them as “all talk” born from frustration.
“I did not pay for political outcomes. I paid to survive my business,” he told the inquiry.
On Monday, former Strathfield mayor Matthew Blackmore also gave gripping evidence in a separate but explosive stream of Operation Rosny.
ICAC has tied Mr Blackmore’s complaint to the broader inquiry, alleging it reflects the same kind of pressure and targeting of public officials being examined elsewhere in the case.
Mr Blackmore told the commission he was subjected to a campaign of threats, blackmail and secret surveillance aimed at forcing him to hand over the mayoralty.
He alleged former Labor councillor Sharangan Maheswaran told him: “What you’ve got to understand, Matthew, is anyone that crosses me, I’ve got a reputation in the party that if I don’t like someone, they don’t get away with crossing me, it would take me about six weeks to take you down.”
Mr Blackmore became emotional as he recalled later learning he and his family had allegedly been recorded for months, including while away on holiday.
“The holiday thing was one of the worst things,” he told the inquiry.
After initially agreeing to step aside, Mr Blackmore told ICAC he later wanted to “draw a line in the sand” and was “not working with you people after what you did” in an apparent reference to the councillors he alleged were behind the pressure campaign.
ICAC is examining the allegations and no findings have been made against Mr Maheswaran.
The inquiry continues.
