Welcome back to the Herald’s live coverage of the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s Operation Rosny public hearings.
I’m state political reporter Jessica McSweeney, and I’ll be bringing you all the latest updates as Charles Perrottet takes to the witness box for another day of evidence.
Before the hearing begins, let’s take a look at what we covered on Tuesday:
- Charles Perrottet has told the corruption inquiry that promises he made to Jean Nassif regarding political outcomes were lies, and a way to “humour” the developer so that he would pay money owed Jeremy Greenwood and Christian Ellis’s company Beckington.
- Perrottet met Nassif for dinner at Melbourne’s Nobu in 2021, and later messaged Toplace lawyer Sharangan Maheswaran: “I told Jean that the best way to get the building commissioner off his back is to take the fight to [David] Elliott and dismantle his infrastructure. If we can get 189 and Garthowen payments, we can take Parra, Hills, Cumberland councils, and the seat of Castle Hill and completely isolate him. As a result, he’ll be on his knees.” The ICAC heard “189 and Garthowen” were references to developments that Beckington was contracted to assist with. Perrottet said he was lying in that text, and told the ICAC that he never asked for payments for political outcomes.
- Perrottet was asked if his wife Anita lied to the corruption inquiry about payments she received for his advice to benefit Toplace. She told the ICAC her husband never did any work for her company, but Charles Perrottet gave evidence that in fact her payments from Beckington did include remuneration relating to advice he gave to assist Nassif’s developments. Perrottet said Anita didn’t lie, and that he wasn’t sure how much he disclosed to her about the arrangement.
- Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer, SC, said she was “gobsmacked, genuinely” by Perrottet’s evidence, and accused him of fabricating evidence throughout the public hearing. He strongly denied this.