The phone taps, the $100k offer and the 'filthy schools' money'
Here are some of the most notable moments from the first fortnight of NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption hearings under Operation Rosny.
On the inaugural day of the protracted eight-week public inquiry, known as Operation Rosny, Counsel Assisting Peggy Dwyer SC set the tone for the upcoming two months. The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is probing the connections between a fugitive property developer, Liberal Party figures, and suspected infractions of NSW electoral laws.
After two weeks of testimony, the inquiry has reached some of its most significant moments. Counsel assisting Juliet Curtin introduced a stream of incriminating phone recordings. One such call featured Jean-Claude Perrottet discussing a $100,000 bribe offer to support the Liberal Party's preselection of either one of his brothers or two other Liberal lobbyists, Jeremy Greenwood and Christian Ellis.
When pressed about which brother, Perrottet replied, "I don't know what he's talking about... It's clear it makes no sense."
Another taped conversation saw Perrottet's nephew, Jean Nassif, claim he was being targeted by ex-building commissioner David Chandler and former Hornsby MP Matt Kean, who allegedly conspired to unseat Dominic Perrottet as premier. Nassif: "They're leading the fight now against your brother. They want to destroy his image. He's a Christian. He's an evil man." Perrottet: "Yeah, I know. I didn't know it was a crime to be Christian these days."
As the inquiry progressed, counsel Dwyer previewed the inquiry's highlights, including a taped discussion where Nassif revealed his intention to "step on [Petinos'] neck and strip him from his job" and his recent success in securing cabinet positions for his supporters. The inquiry also unearthed allegations that Reformers, a right-wing faction of the Liberal Party, solicited and disguised political donations.
Emails and text messages suggested that money from Catholic Schools NSW (CSNSW) and hotelier Michael O'Hara were allegedly disguised as consulting fees for work never performed. Reformers member Dylan Whitelaw claimed he and Assaf, a key figure in the Reformers, regularly carried out factional work while on the clock at CSNSW, with Assaf allegedly spending more time on Reformers business than his actual job.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
