After nine weeks of public hearings, the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s Operation Rosny inquiry is sadly drawing to a close.
asserted
inquiry → draw → close
The forensic deep-dive has had it all: illegal donations, conservative Christian operatives, multimillion-dollar bribes, fugitive developers, blackmail plots, covert surveillance, scorned cabinet ministers and Academy Award-worthy performances in the witness box.
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dive → have → box
The ICAC – described by detective-turned-crime writer Duncan McNab as Sydney’s answer to the Colosseum – has been blockbuster entertainment.
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ICAC → describe → Colosseum
In that spirit, the Herald is pleased to unveil the lucky – and unlucky – recipients of the Operation Rosny Awards.
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Herald → unveil → Awards
The lobbyist faced questions earlier this month over why two of his companies paid Anita Perrottet, the wife of key ICAC target Charles Perrottet, $660,999 over two-and-a-half years.
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two → face → years
The money was paid despite no written record of any work being done.
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money → pay → work
Anita Perrottet and Greenwood both claimed she earned the money by offering verbal advice.
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she → claim → advice
Investigators believe the money was actually what fugitive developer Jean Nassif had given Charles Perrottet in exchange for various political outcomes.
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Nassif → believe → outcomes
Asked to explain what sort of advice Anita gave for a big tobacco client, Greenwood said she offered a “mum’s perspective” on the vaping black market.
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she → ask → market
“The mum’s perspective is so important – it’s what everybody in politics looks for,” Greenwood enthused.
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Greenwood → ’ → politics
“Did she give you a mum’s perspective on deterring under-fives from vaping?” counsel assisting Dr Peggy Dwyer, SC, shot back.
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she → give → Dwyer
In a crowded field of contenders, the lawyer-turned-Toplace development executive stands out.
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lawyer → turn → executive
Maheswaran was involved in two operations to have a private investigator surveil several enemies, including Strathfield Council mayor Matthew Blackmore and the then police minister David Elliott.
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investigator → involve → Blackmore
He hired Shane De Kauwe, a former Australian Federal Police officer, to do the leg work.
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He → hire → work
But the operation sometimes extended to the family members of Blackmore and Elliott.
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operation → extend → Blackmore
Digging up dirt on adults is bad enough.
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Digging → dig → adults
But to extend that to their children is a whole new level of yuck.
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extend → extend → yuck
On May 19, 2021, Maheswaran provided De Kauwe with a list of names of people close to Elliott, including his wife and two sons who had not long graduated from high school.
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who → provide → school
Maheswaran also told Blackmore, the Strathfield mayor, in January 2023 that he knew his wife and children had been driven in the mayoral vehicle for a holiday on the NSW South Coast, potentially in breach of the council’s rules.
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wife → tell → rules
The mayor later told a fellow councillor he felt “sick” that his children may have been monitored.
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children → tell → councillor
An honourable mention goes to the charming decision by De Kauwe to use a ladder to install a static camera on an apartment block to watch a woman Maheswaran believed was connected to Elliott.
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Maheswaran → go → Elliott
Winner: Treasurer Daniel Mookhey
The ICAC on Friday heard that Sharangan Maheswaran and Mookhey had a meeting near Parliament House in 2021 during which he told the upper house Labor MP about a series of unfounded allegations about building commissioner David Chandler.
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he → hear → Chandler
Chandler was a huge thorn in the side of Nassif and his Toplace company, and Maheswaran wanted Mookhey to interrogate him in coming budget estimates.
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Mookhey → want → estimates
Mookhey, who is now the NSW treasurer, refused.
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who → refuse → ?
He reported the meeting to ICAC the next day and told Maheswaran he should also report any concerns he held.
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he → report → concerns
That said, this category was not bursting with potential nominees.
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category → say → nominees
Winner: Commissioner Fabian Gleeson, SC
The man presiding over Operation Rosny has demonstrated the patience of a saint.
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man → preside → saint
As counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer, SC, Juliet Curtin and Hugo Wilesmith have taken turns questioning witnesses, Fabian Gleeson, SC, has sat there for each of the 36 days the inquiry has convened public hearings.
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inquiry → assist → hearings
His biggest test came on September 15, when Jean Nassif was in the witness box via video link from his Beirut bedroom.
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Nassif → come → bedroom
The volatile Toplace developer exploded that afternoon, making all sorts of wild allegations about various figures.
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developer → explode → figures
Gleeson eventually had enough, urging Nassif to “take a breath”.
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Gleeson → have → breath
“The purpose of this inquiry is to get to the truth of certain allegations,” Gleeson said.
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Gleeson → get → allegations
“It’s not for you to attack other people.”
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you → ’ → people
Nassif replied: “No.
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Nassif → reply → ?
No one can make me shut up!”
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me → make → ?
Gleeson probably wanted to end the whole thing there.
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Gleeson → want → thing
Instead, he closed his eyes, tilted his head towards the ceiling, sat back in his chair and let Nassif continue with his rant.
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Nassif → close → rant
It was an exercise in restraint – and letting a witness hang themselves.
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witness → let → themselves
Winner: Jean Nassif
The fugitive developer easily wins this category for his starring role in about a dozen recordings played to the commission.
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developer → win → commission
The calls revealed his vicious personality, and habit of big-noting himself and his influence.
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calls → reveal → himself
…and 45 more, not listed.
The Aporia
