The short version
- Sharangan Maheswaran expressed concern about giving evidence to Icac after attending a Liberal fundraiser where he was photographed with then-treasurer Dominic Perrottet.
- The inquiry is examining whether $2 million in illegal donations from property developer Jean Nassif were exchanged for political outcomes involving factional operatives.
- Maheswaran claimed his attendance was related to union business, though investigators questioned the timing and nature of his interactions with Liberal officials.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption heard testimony on Monday revealing that a former Labor councillor feared being compelled to give evidence after attending a political fundraiser linked to the New South Wales Liberal Party. Sharangan Maheswaran, who previously served as a lawyer for property developer Jean Nassif and later became an executive at Nassif’s company Toplace, expressed anxiety about his presence at an April 2021 event. The commission examined text messages showing Maheswaran worried that his attendance could trigger scrutiny from the anti-corruption watchdog.
The inquiry is currently investigating allegations that Liberal factional operatives Christian Ellis, Jeremy Greenwood, and Charles Perrottet received approximately $2 million in illegal donations from Nassif. These funds were allegedly exchanged for specific political outcomes, including changes to local council compositions and state government appointments. While Dominic Perrottet, the former premier and then-treasurer, is not named as a person of interest nor accused of wrongdoing, his presence at the fundraiser has become a focal point in understanding the network of interactions under review.
Maheswaran’s concerns escalated after NSW Liberal MP Ray Williams used parliamentary privilege in June 2022 to allege that senior party members had been paid significant sums to install new councillors on the Hills Shire council. These appointments were reportedly intended to support development applications for Toplace. Following Williams’ speech, Perrottet referred the allegations to Icac. Maheswaran subsequently messaged colleagues expressing fear that he might be forced to testify, noting that while his attendance might technically be defensible, it appeared problematic.
Text messages obtained by the commission show Maheswaran reacting with alarm after learning about Williams’ speech. He wrote “Oh shit, did he touch on me?” and requested that an invoice for a lunch with Perrottet be adjusted to list his company, Anwalt Pty Ltd, rather than his personal name. This request was sent to Virginia Ellis, the mother of Christian Ellis and a Liberal Hills Shire councillor. Maheswaran also messaged fellow Strathfield councillor Karen Pensabene, stating he did not want to give evidence and acknowledging that his presence at the event looked bad despite believing it should be fine.
When questioned about his reasons for attending the fundraiser, Maheswaran told the commission he had initially informed Nassif that he could not attend or donate due to his role as a property developer. He claimed he paid for two $990 tickets using an Anwalt company card and attended on behalf of the Fire Brigade Employees Union to raise concerns with the state treasurer. However, counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC suggested that Maheswaran sounded panicked in messages sent to Greenwood in February 2023, during a parliamentary inquiry prompted by Williams’ earlier allegations.
In those messages, Maheswaran expressed concern about his attendance at the Robyn Preston fundraiser and asked who had access to Liberal fundraising records. He noted he had an explanation ready from the union but complained that Christian Ellis was “very fucking insistent” on taking a photograph with him and Perrottet. Greenwood responded by calling Ellis a “dumb fuck.” Dwyer suggested Maheswaran fabricated the union-related justification to cover his attendance at Nassif’s request, a claim Maheswaran firmly rejected.
Maheswaran insisted he did not create false conversations about union matters, pointing to existing correspondence that outlined issues the union wished to raise with the state treasurer. He maintained that payments from Toplace to Beckington, a lobbying company controlled by Ellis and Greenwood, were not made in exchange for political outcomes. Dwyer has alleged these payments included recruitment and renewal of Liberal party members, a practice known as branch stacking which is not itself illegal but raises questions about influence.
Christian Ellis has moved overseas and is not expected to give evidence. Greenwood and Charles Perrottet have denied that payments from Toplace were for political outcomes, including the removal of building commissioner David Chandler. Perrottet stated he would add a “political flavour” to advice to secure payments for genuine consulting work. The commission also played a legally intercepted phone call from 2021 between Maheswaran and Nassif, in which Nassif complained about a prohibition notice issued by Chandler.
The investigation continues to examine the extent of coordination between property developers and political operatives in New South Wales. While no charges have been filed against Perrottet or Preston, their presence at events involving individuals under scrutiny highlights the complex web of relationships being untangled. The commission’s work aims to determine whether illegal donations influenced government decisions and local council appointments.
Maheswaran’s testimony underscores the personal risks faced by individuals caught in the crossfire of political corruption investigations. His attempts to manage documentation and craft explanations suggest a deep awareness of potential consequences. As Icac continues its examination, the focus remains on establishing whether financial transactions were linked to specific political favors, regardless of the legality of certain lobbying practices.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- The Guardian World↗‘Oh shit’: Labor councillor who attended 2021 Liberal fundraiser was worried about potential Icac inquiry, Icac hears
