For two months, the NSW corruption watchdog has been pulling at a thread that stretches from a fugitive property developer to the inner workings of Liberal Party factional politics.
asserted
that → pull → politics
Along the way, it sifted through thousands of pages of documents and financial records, played bombshell phone taps, and heard evidence from 20 witnesses.
asserted
it → sift → witnesses
Now, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) inquiry — codenamed Operation Rosny — has drawn its public hearings to a close.
asserted
inquiry → codename → close
The allegations at its centre have not been proven, and ICAC will now consider the evidence before delivering its findings.
asserted
ICAC → prove → findings
After ten weeks of dramatic hearings, here are five stand-out moments to look back on.
asserted
moments → stand → hearings
The fired-up fugitive
From the outset, disgraced property developer Jean Nassif was not expected to appear under the ICAC spotlight.
asserted
Nassif → fire → spotlight
Operation Rosny is investigating whether Mr Nassif — the founder of collapsed property group Toplace — paid Liberal Party operatives to achieve political outcomes that would favour his developments.
asserted
that → investigate → developments
During her opening address, counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC told the commission Mr Nassif, who fled to Lebanon in December 2022, had declined an invitation to assist.
asserted
who → assist → invitation
NSW Police also have an arrest warrant for Mr Nassif over alleged fraud offences.
asserted
Police → have → offences
So it came as a surprise when, halfway through the inquiry, Mr Nassif's name appeared on the public witness list.
asserted
name → come → list
After taking ill before his first scheduled appearance, he eventually dialled into the inquiry from his bedroom in Beirut, and gave evidence over two afternoons.
asserted
he → take → afternoons
What began relatively civilly soon unravelled, as Mr Nassif ranted, protested his innocence and railed against the "deep state".
The commission had previously heard Mr Nassif paid members of a Liberal-aligned conservative Christian faction, known as the Reformers, to assist with their branch stacking and recruitment efforts.
asserted
Nassif → begin → efforts
Mr Nassif furiously denied funding the Reformers's work and repeatedly shouted that he was "not corrupt".
asserted
he → deny → work
"I am not involved with paying politics to get my projects approved," he told the inquiry.
asserted
he → involve → inquiry
"I employed consultants to support me.
asserted
I → employ → me
"If they did any corrupt work, I am not involved with it.
asserted
I → do → it
Throughout the evidence, Dr Dwyer tried to calm Mr Nassif, and at one point assistant commissioner Fabian Gleeson SC intervened.
asserted
SC → try → point
No one can make me shut up.
asserted
me → make → ?
If … you guys not going to attack the problems in this investigation, I need to pull out," Mr Nassif shouted back.
asserted
Nassif → go → investigation
The phone taps
Few things make for more compelling ICAC evidence than an intercepted phone call.
asserted
things → make → call
Early in the public hearings, the commission played a series of phone taps, including one in which Mr Nassif gloated to an associate about his apparent influence on then-NSW premier Dominic Perrottet.
asserted
Nassif → play → Perrottet
A day after Dominic Perrottet was appointed, Mr Nassif told the associate, "my boy… took the premiership".
asserted
boy → appoint → premiership
In a separate call played to the inquiry, Mr Nassif could be heard offering $100,000 to support the Liberal preselection of one of Dominic Perrottet's brothers, Jean-Claude — or alternatively channel the money through Liberal figures Jeremy Greenwood and Christian Ellis.
uncertain
Nassif → play → figures
"Can you give the 100 [$100,000] to your brother, to Jeremy or to Chris?" Mr Nassif said in the call.
asserted
Nassif → give → call
Mr Nassif's political enemies were often the subject of his ire, the inquiry heard.
asserted
inquiry → hear → ire
In that same conversation, Mr Nassif spoke about his efforts to have then-NSW building commissioner David Chandler removed from his job.
asserted
Chandler → speak → job
"I'm gonna step on his neck and strip him from his job," Mr Nassif said on the call.
asserted
Nassif → go → call
In another conversation with Jean-Claude Perrottet, Mr Nassif was heard disparaging former Liberal MP David Elliott.
asserted
Nassif → hear → Elliott
"I f***ed him sideways …
asserted
I → f***e → him
I forced the boys to get rid of his branch at Baulkham Hill[s], you know?" he said.
asserted
he → force → Hill[s
Dominic Perrottet is not accused of any wrongdoing.
The right-wing Liberal movement
The Reformers appeared most comfortable operating in the backroom of the NSW Liberal Party.
This inquiry has not only shone the spotlight on the brutal world of factional politics, but also on a network of operatives and lobbyists, united by their faith and intent on pushing the Liberal Party to the right.
asserted
inquiry → accuse → right
The conservative Christian faction was founded in 2018 by Mr Ellis and Robert Assaf, who described themselves as young men with "wild dreams" of changing the NSW Liberal Party.
asserted
who → found → Party
The commission heard about their efforts to recruit members, influence branch numbers, and build factional power.
asserted
commission → hear → power
Former Liberal staffer Dylan Whitelaw described doing Reformers work while employed at Catholic Schools NSW, while Jean-Claude Perrottet told the inquiry he had performed factional duties while working for Liberal MP Damien Tudehope.
asserted
he → describe → Tudehope
Both Jean-Claude Perrottet and Charles Perrottet, who are the brothers of Dominic Perrottet, fronted the inquiry over several days.
asserted
who → front → days
The inquiry was also told Mr Nassif paid $2 million to Charles Perrottet, Mr Greenwood and Mr Ellis to fast-track government approvals for his building projects and target his political enemies including Mr Chandler.
asserted
Nassif → tell → Chandler
The money trail eventually led to a "consulting" arrangement worth $660,999 for the wife of one of the Reformers.
Anita Perrottet, wife of Charles Perrottet and sister-in-law of Dominic Perrottet, received the large payments over about two-and-a-half years.
asserted
Perrottet → lead → years
The commission heard she worked an average of about 16 hours a week for companies linked to lobbyist Mr Greenwood.
asserted
she → hear → Greenwood
Charles Perrottet and Mr Greenwood separately gave evidence that the work was largely verbal — marketing, strategic advice and conversations.
asserted
work → give → evidence
There were no detailed reports, few records of meetings and little documentation of the work that had generated such a sizeable sum.
asserted
that → be → sum
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
