Operation Rosny ICAC investigation LIVE updates: Hearings begin into NSW Liberal Party operatives’ links to property developer Jean Nassif, Catholic Schools NSW and Sydney councils

Good morning and welcome to the Herald’s live coverage of the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s highly anticipated hearings into fugitive property developer Jean Nassif’s links to political party powerbrokers, councils and the state’s Catholic schools. I am state political reporter Jessica McSweeney.

We’ll be bringing you live updates throughout as the ICAC begins the first day of eight weeks of hearings, but if you want to see the action yourself, you can watch live here.

The first witness to be called before the ICAC’s eight weeks of hearings is hotelier and lawyer Michael O’Hara.

The corruption watchdog is investigating if secret donations were made to the Liberal Party on his behalf by Paslibdan Pty Ltd, one of O’Hara’s companies.

O’Hara is a prohibited donor in NSW because he was previously involved in property development.

He’s also a previous colleague of Liberal MP Damien Tudehope, who has since stood down as shadow attorney-general because he was likely to be called as a witness before the ICAC. The pair worked together at a Strathfield law firm.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Tudehope.

The ICAC is investigating whether donations made on O’Hara’s behalf were for “purposes that included the recruitment and/or renewal of members to the Liberal Party”.

We’ll first hear from Counsel Assisting the Commission, Dr Peggy Dwyer SC.

Dwyer’s opening statement is expected to last a few hours, and will outline what the hearing will cover, what it is expected the evidence will show, and the key players involved.

One man who will loom large over the inquiry is fugitive property developer Jean Nassif. It will be alleged donations were made by him, or on his behalf, in exchange for outcomes sought by Nassif, including damaging the career of then-Liberal MP David Elliott and the removal of former building commissioner David Chandler.

We won’t hear from Nassif though – the developer remains in hiding in Lebanon.

The hearing will then turn to hotelier and lawyer Michael O’Hara, who is a focus of the inquiry over allegations secret donations were made to the Liberal Party on his behalf, despite being a prohibited donor.

Good morning and welcome to the Herald’s live coverage of the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s highly anticipated hearings into fugitive property developer Jean Nassif’s links to political party powerbrokers, councils and the state’s Catholic schools. I am state political reporter Jessica McSweeney.

We’ll be bringing you live updates throughout as the ICAC begins the first day of eight weeks of hearings, but if you want to see the action yourself, you can watch live here.