‘We have one thing that can kill Elliott’: Icac questions former Labor councillor over message | Independent Commission Against Corruption
A former Labor councillor says he had a “widespread curiosity” with a conservative Liberal operative, however denied {that a} message he acquired about damaging the repute of NSW Liberal minister David Elliott was associated to political work for a fugitive property developer, an inquiry has heard.
Sharangan Maheswaran advised the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) on Friday {that a} message despatched to him by lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood claiming “We have one thing that can kill Elliott” didn’t relate to work by Greenwood’s firm Beckington for Jean Nassif.
Maheswaran, who’s not a councillor, was a lawyer to property developer Nassif and have become an government at his firm, Toplace, in September 2020.
Icac is analyzing whether or not Liberal figures Greenwood, Charles Perrottet and Christian Ellis anticipated receiving $2m in prohibited donations from Nassif in trade for political outcomes, together with harm to the profession of former NSW Liberal minister and centre-right faction member David Elliott, who had opposed Toplace developments. Greenwood, Perrottet and Nassif have denied that Nassif paid for political outcomes.
On Friday, Dwyer took Maheswaran to a message Greenwood wrote to him in February 2020 by which he mentioned: “We have one thing that can kill Elliot.”
Maheswaran replied: “Your ears have to be ringing. I simply picked up the cellphone to let you already know that I’ve bought one thing respectable, and the SMH [Sydney Morning Herald] goes to fireplace up re [centre-right Liberal MP Alex] Hawke this week off the again of an ALP invoice to ban builders.”
Dwyer put it to Maheswaran that the messages confirmed he shared “a typical curiosity with Beckington by way of damaging the repute of David Elliott”.
Maheswaran mentioned he “had a typical curiosity with Mr Greenwood in relation to the Hawke faction of the Liberal social gathering”, however rejected the suggestion the messages associated to work by Beckington for Nassif.
The inquiry heard that Maheswaran got here to know Nassif by his daughter Ashlyn Nassif, who was sentenced to a six-month community corrections order earlier this month after pleading responsible to offering false or deceptive info to acquire a $150m building mortgage from Westpac.
Maheswaran mentioned he was subcontracted to do work for Toplace by Ashlyn Nassif and her sister Evelyn Helou’s legislation agency EA Legal in late 2019, by one other firm, Anwalt Pty Ltd.
But he took difficulty with Dwyer’s suggestion that he and Anwalt had been one and the identical.
He mentioned: “That’s nonsensical from a company’s perspective, from a business perspective, from any kind of understanding of contractual legislation, I’m sorry, Dr Dwyer, I’m talking by way of as I perceive the globe.”
“No drawback,” replied Dwyer. Under questioning, Maheswaran accepted that he was the one shareholder and worker of Anwalt on the time.
The fee heard that Maheswaran was paid $1.4m by Toplace between 2020 and 2023, however that he had not disclosed that he was an in depth affiliate of a property developer when he nominated for council in 2021, which Dwyer mentioned was required by legislation.
Dwyer mentioned: “So the one particular person doing any precise work was you, appropriate?”
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“At that cut-off date, sure,” mentioned Maheswaran.
Maheswaran has been talked about steadily by different witnesses, and has attended the fee in particular person whereas others have given proof.
Icac is investigating whether or not Maheswaran and fellow Labor Strathfield councillor Karen Pensabene engaged in conduct in the direction of former mayor Matthew Blackmore in a method “that includes the dishonest or partial train of their official features and/or a breach of public belief, together with conduct which may contain blackmail” and doable breaches of the Surveillance Devices Act. Maheswaran has denied any wrongdoing.
When Icac introduced its public hearings, Maheswaran told Guardian Australia: “I’ve each confidence that my actions shall be regarded by the general public and by any truthful tribunal to be lawful and fully within the public curiosity.”
Greenwood has beforehand advised the fee Maheswaran helped him prepare a non-public safety guard to keep away from summons to a parliamentary inquiry that preceded Icac’s inquiry.
Greenwood mentioned he instructed to Maheswaran that Toplace cowl the fee for Jean-Claude Perrottet, youthful brother of the previous premier, to go to Fiji to keep away from the inquiry, saying: “You know, your boss is the reason for this, so you may cowl it.”
Dominic Perrottet just isn’t named as an individual of curiosity in Icac’s allegations and isn’t accused of any wrongdoing.
The inquiry continues.
