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The Independent Commission Against Corruption has concluded 38 days of hearings into Operation Rosny, exposing alleged blackmail, secret recordings, and illicit contracts involving Catholic Schools NSW and political figures in New South Wales.
“Did you fix the testicle? ” was the blackmailers’ code for the 2004 coup against the Strathfield mayor, Alfred Tsang. In the modern version, which has been unspooling in all its tawdry detail before the current corruption inquiry, the alleged blackmailers were buoyed by the emergence of a “King of Swords reversed”, courtesy of a tarot card reader who’d been consulted to determine the timing of the mayoral coup against Matthew Blackmore.
Although the plots were separated by almost two decades, they both allegedly involved blackmail, dirty deals, double-crosses and a secret tape recording thrown in for good measure. And, in both cases, the mayors alleging blackmail went straight to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
Over 38 days of extraordinary public hearings, the ICAC has heard extraordinary allegations of bogus contracts funnelling Catholic Schools NSW money to Liberal operatives, private investigators wielding secret recording devices to spy on political opponents, and fugitive property developer Jean Nassif paying for political outcomes to damage his enemies. It will now be the job of the ICAC to digest the evidence given at these public hearings, the stacks of physical evidence including scores of texts and police intercepted phone taps, hours of private examinations and the written submissions made by the persons of interest in this inquiry.
Counsel assisting the commission Dr Peggy Dwyer, SC, and a team of barristers have delivered 38 days of questioning. Since the Operation Rosny allegations were referred to the ICAC by a member of parliament , a report with findings will be tabled to the parliament. The ICAC itself can’t prosecute anyone, it can only make findings of corruption and provide a recommendation to the Department of Public Prosecutions.
The most commonly prosecuted offence arising from these inquiries is lying to the ICAC. Hello and welcome to what we’re told is likely to be the final day of the ICAC’s Operation Rosny public hearings. I’m state political reporter Jessica McSweeney and a big thank you for joining me for today’s live blog – special prize for those loyal Rosny watchers who have followed along every day for the past nine weeks.
Sharangan Maheswaran is back in the witness box today for a final grilling, which all going to plan should be the last day of the public hearings entirely. Before we dive into his evidence at the slightly earlier time of 9:30am, here’s a recap of what we covered last Friday: Sharangan Maheswaran met with Daniel Mookhey in 2021, then an opposition MP, to share allegations that the building commissioner was harassing his client, which he didn’t reveal was Toplace.
Maheswaran wanted Mookhey to ask David Chandler questions at a budget estimates hearing, but instead Mookhey referred the matter to ICAC and suggested Maheswaran do the same, the inquiry heard. Maheswaran sent damaging material about the building commissioner to journalists with the goal of getting a story published about Chandler, the inquiry heard. He also sent material to Charles Perrottet.
The Toplace lawyer told Nassif he had met with key people who would support a push against the building commissioner, and told Nassif within four weeks “he will be finished”, the inquiry heard. Maheswaran denied participating in a plot to get Chandler sacked. During a 2023 parliamentary inquiry into allegations of illegal donations in the Hills Shire, Maheswaran told a friend he “fled Sydney” to avoid a summons.
Maheswaran and fellow Labor Strathfield Councillor wanted to oust then mayor Matthew Blackmore and to install a Labor councillor so Labor could hold power in all levels of government by the 2023 state election, the inquiry heard. Maheswaran consulted tarot cards about “how things will go for Matthew” which was a “lark”, Maheswaran told the hearing.
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