The phrase “follow the money” made its way into folklore after the 1976 film All the President’s Men, about Watergate, one of the most notorious political scandals in US history.
“Following the money” is a central theme of the latest NSW corruption inquiry which, from the opening address alone on Monday, promises to be a political thriller of unsurpassed twists and turns.
There are code names, and claims of targets being followed for blackmail purposes, the laundering of money, sham payments, attempts to destroy the careers of then-police minister David Elliott and building commissioner David Chandler, intercepted calls and – like Watergate – the attempted undermining of our democratic processes.
The central characters of Operation Rosny’s thriller include the “Godfather” Jean Nassif, a fugitive property developer on the run from the law, but who was still funding right-wing Liberal Party “black ops” from his hideout in Lebanon.
Then there is a group of conservatives in the right faction of the Liberal Party, known as “The Reformers”.
They include would-be priest Robert Assaf, Jeremy Greenwood, who established a lobbying firm which alllegedly did “sham work” for prohibited donors, his business partner Christian Ellis, and two brothers of former premier Dominic Perrottet.
By early 2020, said Dr Peggy Dwyer, SC, counsel assisting the inquiry, the right faction’s “money train” had already left the station and “was on track to be an extremely lucrative journey, because Mr Nassif, owner of Toplace, was on board”.
Greenwood and Ellis, both former Liberal staffers, set up a lobbying company called Beckington in 2019. This was allegedly the means through which illegal donations were laundered.
The inquiry heard that $2 million from Nassif was channelled through Beckington for the personal use of Greenwood, Ellis and Charles Perrottet, who was referred to obliquely by others as “the important person”.
On January 12, 2023, Greenwood and Charles Perrottet’s brother Jean-Claude Perrottet had a conversation about the “filthy” money they were receiving.
On this occasion, the tainted funds weren’t from Nassif, but from Catholic Schools NSW and allegedly arranged by its then-chief executive Dallas McInerney.
In July 2019, nine days before Beckington was even registered, Greenwood messaged McInerney and said: “Just wanted to say thanks for all the help you’ve given Christian and I, it’s really set us up in a good spot, couldn’t be more appreciative.”
Mr McInerney replied: “Happy days!!”
The recent days have not been so happy for the targets of Operation Rosny. One of the central figures, Christian Ellis, has moved to England, telling the ICAC he is unable to attend.
However, the inquiry heard that Ellis has been in regular phone contact with Charles Perrottet and Jeremy Greenwood. “In fact, a few weeks ago he was in the physical company of Jeremy Greenwood, who flew to London and spent significant time with him,” Dwyer told commissioner Fabian Gleeson.
On December 8, 2022, a parliamentary inquiry was initiated by a NSW Legislative Council committee to examine the allegations now being explored by the ICAC.
The following day, Nassif left the country on board an Emirates flight to Dubai. There is currently a warrant out for his arrest over serious fraud charges relating to the funding of his property developments.
Charles Perrottet, who had moved to Melbourne, refused to return to give evidence to the NSW parliament, while Jean-Claude Perrottet, with financial assistance from others named in the ICAC, “went to Fiji to sit out the month of the inquiry”.
Ellis avoided process servers by staying near the NSW/Victoria border. From his hideout in Lebanon, Nassif funded private security to prevent process servers serving a summons on Greenwood.
This was arranged by Sharangan Maheswaran, a Labor councillor on Strathfield council who was previously employed by Nassif’s development company.
Maheswaran, who sat in on the opening address, is linked to many facets of the inquiry. He is accused of using Nassif’s money to fund a private investigator to gather dirt to remove the independent mayor of Strathfield.
The inquiry heard that Maheswaran, the lawyer and adviser to Nassif, learnt some “intimidation” techniques from Nassif.
On October 6, 2021, a phone intercept shows Nassif boasting to a fellow developer that the building commissioner David Chandler’s days were numbered. “I’m gonna step on his neck and strip him from his job. Just give me two months … I’m gonna f— him sideways.”
Nassif went on to say, “This guy, he knows his days are up because my boy … er, mm, took the premiership.”
He was also recorded boasting that the Liberal Party’s right wing had announced that “Jean Nassif is our godfather”, and that Liberal Party MP David Elliott “lost it”. In the calls, Nassif says he has “covered himself politically”.
Dominic Perrottet, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, had become premier the previous day. Gladys Berejiklian had dramatically resigned when it was revealed she would be the subject of a corruption inquiry due to her undisclosed relationship with backbencher Daryl Maguire. Both were later found to be corrupt.
It seems not-so-happy days are ahead for the current targets of the ICAC.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
