‘Oh shit’: Labor councillor who attended 2021 Liberal fundraiser was fearful about potential Icac inquiry, Icac hears | Independent Commission Against Corruption
A Labor councillor feared his presence at a Liberal fundraiser attended by Dominic Perrottet would end in him being compelled to offer proof to the New South Wales anti-corruption commission, the watchdog has heard.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) heard on Monday that after an incendiary speech by a NSW MP, which led to allegations being referred to the watchdog, Sharangan Maheswaran wrote “Oh shit, did he contact on me?” and requested for “that bill for the Dom lunch mounted up”.
Icac is analyzing whether or not Liberal factional operatives Christian Ellis, Jeremy Greenwood and Charles Perrottet, the youthful brother of Dominic Perrottet, acquired $2m in unlawful donations from property developer Jean Nassif in change for political outcomes.
Dominic Perrottet isn’t named as an individual of curiosity and isn’t accused of wrongdoing.
Former Strathfield councillor Maheswaran was a lawyer to Nassif and have become an government at Nassif’s firm, Toplace, in September 2020.
In June 2022, the NSW Liberal MP Ray Williams used parliamentary privilege to allege senior members of the celebration had been “paid important funds” to put in new councillors on the Hills Shire council to help Toplace improvement functions.
After the speech, the then-premier Dominic Perrottet referred the allegations to Icac.
On Monday, Maheswaran was proven a photograph of him and Ellis at an April 2021 fundraiser for Hawkesbury Liberal MP and former Hills Shire councillor Robyn Preston. They had been pictured alongside others together with Dominic Perrottet who on the time was NSW treasurer.
Preston isn’t named as an individual of curiosity in Icac’s allegations and isn’t accused of any wrongdoing.
After Ellis contacted Maheswaran about Williams’ speech, the fee heard that the councillor wrote “Oh shit, did he contact on me?” and requested for his title on a fee type for the fundraiser, despatched to Ellis’ mom, Liberal Hills Shire councillor Virginia Ellis, modified to that of his firm Anwalt Pty Ltd.
The inquiry heard that Maheswaran wrote to fellow Labor Strathfield councillor Karen Pensabene a few potential referral of Toplace to Icac, saying: “I simply don’t need to have to offer proof.”
He wrote that he was involved about his attendance on the fundraiser: “I feel it must be advantageous, however it appears unhealthy.”
Pensabene wrote: “Would you cease going to Lib capabilities, please?”
“Haha,” replied Maheswaran. “I haven’t been to at least one for the 12 months.”
Maheswaran instructed the fee he attended the occasion after telling Nassif, who had acquired an electronic mail invitation, that he couldn’t attend and donate being a property developer.
Maheswaran stated he had paid for his and Ellis’s $990 tickets with an Anwalt firm card, saying he was there on behalf of the firefighters union to lift issues with the treasurer, fairly than on Toplace’s behalf.
By the time of February 2023 public hearings in a parliamentary inquiry prompted by Williams speech, Maheswaran sounded “panicked” in messages despatched to Greenwood, counsel helping Peggy Dwyer SC prompt on Monday.
He wrote “involved about my attendance at Robyn fundraiser” and requested who had entry to Liberal fundraising information.
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“I’ve bought an evidence able to situation from the FBEU [Fire Brigade Employees Union], however fucking CE [Christian Ellis] was very insistent on an image with me, him, and Dom, like very fucking insistent,” Maheswaran stated.
Greenwood wrote again: “Because he’s a dumb fuck.”
Maheswaran rejected Dwyer’s suggestion that he had fabricated a narrative about attending “due to one thing to do with the firefighters union … to cowl the truth that you had been going on the request of Jean Nassif”.
Maheswaran stated he had correspondence with the union which set out “issues that they’d like to lift with the state treasurer”, saying he didn’t “go on my time machine and create these conversations”.
Maheswaran insisted on Monday that funds from Toplace to lobbying firm Beckington, managed by Ellis and Greenwood, weren’t for political outcomes, which Dwyer has alleged included the recruitment and renewal of members to the Liberal party. The apply, often known as department stacking, isn’t itself unlawful.
Ellis has moved abroad and isn’t anticipated to offer proof, whereas Greenwood and Charles Perrottet have denied funds from Toplace had been for political outcomes together with the removing of the constructing commissioner, David Chandler. Charles Perrottet stated he would add a “political flavour” to recommendation in an effort to chase funds for real consulting work.
On Monday afternoon, Maheswaran was performed a legally intercepted telephone name between him and Nassif from 2021, through which the latter complained that Chandler had put what he described as a “prohibition discover” on a Toplace improvement.
Nassif claimed he was “chatting with fucking Charles … to attempt to cease it” and that he would “fuck him [Chandler] sideways”, echoing language in one other telephone faucet beforehand played to the commission.
Maheswaran didn’t instantly reply to Dwyer’s suggestion that the decision confirmed he understood Nassif “was counting on Charles Perrottet to attempt to cope with the constructing commissioner”.
Under questioning from presiding commissioner, Fabian Gleeson, Maheswaran stated that Charles Perrottet, who he earlier stated Nassif noticed as his “highly effective buddy”, was one of many “safeguards” put up round Nassif to stop him “choosing up the telephone and abusing the constructing commissioner as he’d finished beforehand”.
“I’d fairly Mr Nassif name Mr Perrottet and Mr Perrottet do nothing … than [Nassif] him name the constructing commissioner.”
Icac’s inquiry continues.
