Australia: ICAC hearing told of attempt to spread rumours about ex-minister — The Guardian
In Australia, the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) heard evidence about an attempt to secure media publication of unverified rumours concerning former state minister David Elliott. According to The Guardian, Sharangan Maheswaran, the former lawyer of developer Jean Nassif, confirmed that he offered lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood $1,000 to place the story, but described the offer as “not serious”.
Maheswaran was shown correspondence with Greenwood. In it, he wrote that he would pay $1,000 if Greenwood managed to secure publication of the material, and after receiving a laughing response, added that he was not joking.
Unverified rumours about Elliott
The rumours concerned an alleged extramarital affair involving Elliott and his possible breach of restrictions introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Elliott categorically rejected these claims in a statement and in testimony to the commission. Several witnesses also acknowledged that there was no evidence to support the rumours.
Maheswaran, who was previously Nassif’s lawyer and an executive at Toplace, admitted that in 2020 he gave a private investigator Elliott’s address to check the rumours. According to him, the investigator initially conducted surveillance as a favour, and Maheswaran later paid him $1,000 for a repeat visit, during which photographs were taken.
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The commission heard that Maheswaran and Greenwood unsuccessfully tried to offer the story to the Daily Telegraph newspaper. They provided the outlet with photographs of Elliott in a car with a woman who was not his wife, as well as a draft formal statement by the private investigator. Elliott said he was signing work-related documents in the photographs.
Investigation into donations
ICAC is investigating allegations that Liberal Party-linked Christian Ellis, Jeremy Greenwood and Charles Perrottet received $2 million in unlawful donations from Jean Nassif or his company Toplace in exchange for political outcomes. Greenwood and Perrottet deny that the payments were connected to such outcomes. Nassif, who testified from Beirut, said he was not corrupt.
Commission counsel Peggy Dwyer suggested that Maheswaran’s persistence in spreading the rumours may have been linked to a political outcome sought by Nassif, including an attempt to damage Elliott’s career. Elliott opposed Toplace projects. Maheswaran denied this, saying that Nassif was the source of the rumours but had not asked him to seek publication. The ICAC hearings are ongoing.
