In Australia, developer Jean Nassif told ICAC he would not be silenced
In Australia, developer Jean Nassif said during hearings at the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) that he could not be silenced and threatened to leave the hearing. The 58-year-old Nassif joined the session via video link from a bedroom in Beirut on September 15, The Guardian reports.
Course of the hearing
During questions from counsel assisting the commission, Peggy Dwyer, Nassif began speaking about former New South Wales minister David Elliott, former building commissioner David Chandler, state politics and the construction industry. He claimed that Elliott had delayed approvals in order to pressure him and also accused Chandler of making false statements about defects in his buildings.
Dwyer repeatedly urged Nassif to calm down and not raise his voice. The developer showed handwritten notes to the camera and said that people were trying to portray him as corrupt. “I am not corrupt,” he said.
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Subject of the investigation
ICAC is investigating allegations concerning people linked to the New South Wales Liberal Party. The commission is examining whether party representatives expected to receive $2 million in prohibited donations from Nassif in exchange for political decisions, including harming Elliott’s career and removing Chandler from office.
Assistant Commissioner Fabian Gleeson told Nassif that the purpose of the hearings was to establish the truth about certain allegations, rather than attack other people. In response, the developer said that he could leave the hearing. Nassif, the former head of Toplace, left for Lebanon in 2022. The proceedings are continuing.
