NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey referred allegations about the building commissioner to the corruption watchdog after the lawyer for disgraced developer Jean Nassif asked the then opposition MP to raise concerns in state parliament.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption heard on Friday that Nassif’s lawyer and ALP member Sharangan Maheswaran approached several members of parliament before building commissioner David Chandler was due to appear at a budget estimates hearing in 2021.
One of those was Mookhey, then the shadow treasurer, who agreed to meet Maheswaran at a cafe near NSW Parliament in October 2021. Mookhey told Maheswaran he would not raise the concerns about Chandler in budget estimates, and they should instead be reported to the ICAC.
The ICAC is investigating whether Nassif wanted to damage Chandler’s career because the building commissioner was actively scrutinising serious defects in Nassif’s projects, including the Skyview building in Castle Hill. Chandler is not accused of any wrongdoing.
The commission heard Mookhey referred Maheswaran’s claims to the ICAC the next day and also later provided a written statement. Maheswaran did not refer the allegations, insisting he was concerned the ICAC was often too slow in responding to complaints.
In the statement provided to the ICAC, Mookhey described the meeting with Maheswaran. Mookhey said Maheswaran did not identify Toplace, but only referred to his client as a “prominent builder”.
“Mr Maheswaran told me he had a client whose projects are or were the subject of prohibition orders made by the commissioner, and the decision by the building commissioner to make prohibition orders led to adverse public commentary about his client, which in turn led to their client commencing defamation proceedings against the 2GB radio station and one of its major presenters,” Mookhey’s statement read.
Maheswaran said it was unlikely he would have mentioned the defamation proceedings.
Mookhey’s statement recounted Maheswaran telling him: “The building commissioner harassed his client by making additional inspections, incorrectly issuing defect notices, and making references to mediations during site visits, which their client interpreted as an allusion to the defamation proceedings”.
Counsel assisting Dr Peggy Dwyer, SC said: “Mr Maheswaran, I suggest to you that you relied on your position as a lawyer, to suggest to Mr Mookhey that he should take seriously these allegations of corruption against the building commissioner”.
Maheswaran responded: “No”.
Dwyer also read out text messages between Maheswaran and Nassif from 2021 when the developer sent his lawyer a video of Chandler at a job site. Nassif believed the video could be damaging to Chandler, the commission heard.
Maheswaran replied: “Can I provide it to my MP friend?” He could not recall who this was.
Maheswaran said in a separate message: “I want to keep it highly secret. You will see in the next four weeks he will be finished.”
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Alexandra Smith is a senior writer and former state political editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.
Jessica McSweeney is a reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald covering state politics and urban affairs.Connect via email.From our partners
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