Crazy and crazier: ICAC unravels Jean Nassif’s paranoia
After watching Jean Nassif give his unhinged evidence to the corruption inquiry recently from his Beirut bolthole, the impression left was that the fugitive developer was certifiably crazy.
But receiving a surprise mention during Thursday’s evidence, supposedly as Nassif’s “enforcer”, was a genuinely crazy figure, one-time bikie gang enforcer “Crazy Dave” Lima, whose corporate entities have included Krazye and Mother Clucker.
Also known as Sofe Veiru Levi, “Crazy Dave” has a conviction for violence and was second-in-charge of a bikie gang known as Notorious. On one occasion, Crazy Dave’s parole was revoked after police discovered he’d met “The Executioner”, a martial arts fighter, at the Gypsy Lounge in Kings Cross.
The day’s evidence could best be described as “mooshed”, a word the witness appeared to use for “muddled into a confused mess”. In the ICAC hotseat for his fourth day was lawyer Sharangan Maheswaran, 36, who has been dubbed Nassif’s right-hand man.
Public hearings to stretch into 10th week
If you feel like this inquiry has been a fairly lengthy endeavour, you’re not wrong. Sharangan Maheswaran’s appearance today marks the end of nine weeks of public hearings, and we’ve still got more to come.
In comparison, the ICAC’s Operation Navarra inquiry into Parramatta Council laster just over five weeks.
Operation Rosny spans three distinct but connected allegations involving Liberal Party figures, alleged illegal donations and claims of blackmail by Labor councillors against then Strathfield mayor Matthew Blackmore.
Former Toplace lawyer and one-time Labor Strathfield councillor Sharangan Maheswaran will today take to the witness box for his fifth day of questioning. So far Maheswaran has been grilled on his work for Jean Nassif, his use of a private investigator to run surveillance of Nassif’s political enemies, and his knowledge of a so-called extortion attempt Nassif claimed was made in connection with the then building commissioner.
He is yet to give evidence about allegations he used a private investigator to follow Blackmore as part of a pressure campaign to force him to resign as mayor.
We’ve just heard from ICAC staff that we’ll be returning for at least one day next week so Maheswaran can be questioned about his time on Strathfield Council.
Welcome to our live coverage
Hello and welcome to another day of live coverage of the ICAC’s Operation Rosny public hearings.
I’m state politics reporter Jessica McSweeeney, and I’ll be bringing you all the latest updates as they happen from the commission.
Before the hearing kicks off at 10am, here’s a recap of what we covered yesterday:
- Sharangan Maheswaran denied weaponising extortion allegations to try and get the building commissioner off Jean Nassif’s back, after the ICAC heard Maheswaran told Charles Perrottet and journalists about the extortion, but didn’t report the allegations to ICAC or the police. Maheswaran said he believed Perrottet was following up the allegations with a contact inside the Department of Fair Trading. Maheswaran declined to be interviewed during an investigation triggered when David Chandler reported the allegations to the department, the ICAC heard.
- Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer, SC, showed the commission text messages, transcripts from secret recordings and evidence given during private hearings showing the contractor Navid Ardestani denying Nassif’s claims that he was part of a shakedown attempt. Maheswaran has insisted audio from a secret recording does show Ardestani making comments that, in Maheswaran’s mind, supported the claims he was hearing from Nassif, but that audio was not played to the inquiry.
- Another contractor, Adrian Healey, was accused by Nassif in a heated meeting of leaking information to the building commissioner. He told the ICAC he felt Nassif was “dangerous” at that meeting and denied ever leaking information.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
