The treasurer, the texts and the tarot cards: The final, strange days of ICAC inquiry

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey rebuffed a Labor colleague’s push to raise complaints about the state’s building commissioner in parliament, instead referring the allegations to the corruption watchdog and later providing a formal statement.

In its penultimate day of hearings, the Independent Commission Against Corruption heard Sharangan Maheswaran, one-time ALP member and lawyer for Toplace developer Jean Nassif, approached Mookhey with allegations about then-building commissioner David Chandler before the public servant was due to appear at a budget estimates hearing.

The commission also heard Maheswaran was an amateur tarot card reader, who used his deck to look into the fortunes of his political rival Matthew Blackmore, a former independent mayor of Strathfield Council whom Maheswaran is accused of blackmailing and illegally recording.

The blackmailing accusation is the third and final allegation in the commission’s lengthy inquiry dubbed Operation Rosny, which has held nine weeks of public hearings. It is due to hold its final day of public hearings on Tuesday.

In October 2021, Mookhey, then the shadow treasurer, agreed to meet Maheswaran at a cafe near NSW Parliament. After hearing allegations about Chandler, Mookhey told Maheswaran he would not raise the concerns in budget estimates, and they should instead be reported to the ICAC.

Mookhey reported the allegations the next day.

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.

In his 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.

On Friday, 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.”

In a surprise twist in the evidence, it emerged Maheswaran and fellow Labor councillor Karen Pensabene discussed the political machinations of Strathfield Council using tarot card readings.

Pensabene is also accused of attempting to blackmail Blackmore, but she has been released from her summons on medical grounds.

The commission heard that Maheswaran and Pensabene were texting about the vote for mayor because they wanted the independent Blackmore replaced with a Labor councillor, when Pensabene asked Maheswaran if he was near his “card reader”.

Maheswaran sent Pensabene a photo of some tarot cards, the commission heard.

“Two of cups in a professional setting equals a strong friendship partnership, which equals us,” Maheswaran told Pensabene. “King of swords reversed. This card reversed can represent someone who’s intelligent and talkative, but uses those these qualities for negative means, such as to manipulate or hurt others.

“The eight of wands represents hastiness, speed, rushing, progress, movement, and action. It’s a minor arcana card of sudden action, excitement, exciting times.”

Maheswaran was asking the tarot cards “how things will go for Matthew”, the commission heard.

While Maheswaran is a person of interest in the third allegation, he has also been dragged into the allegations involving Liberal operatives, who allegedly shared in a $2 million bribe from Nassif.

The commission on Friday heard the lengths Maheswaran took to avoid being caught up in the 2023 parliamentary inquiry into allegations of illegal donations in the Hills Shire. That inquiry was one of the catalysts for Operation Rosny.

“I’ve fled Sydney in anticipation of the hearing tomorrow. I’m in Cessnock,” Maheswaran texted a friend.

His friend asked how being in Cessnock would help him avoid the inquiry.

“They can’t find me to serve me,” Maheswaran said.

Maheswaran returned to Sydney a day later and told his friend: “I’m back from hiding; they didn’t call me.”

Sydney’s best coverage of the ICAC inquiry

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