Watchdog probes tainted donations in blow to Liberals

Farid Farid | July 27, 2026

Four years after a veteran Liberal MP aired explosive claims of dodgy political donations in parliament, a corruption probe is investigating the scandal.

The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption is examining alleged collusion between fugitive property developer Jean Nassif and Liberal Party members, including the brothers of former Liberal premier Dominic Perrottet.

The watchdog will assess if political donations from Nassif and his development company Toplace were taken in return for favourable outcomes between 2020 and 2023.

Undeclared donations allegedly arranged by factional figures such as former Catholic Schools NSW chief executive Dallas McInerney between 2019 and 2023 are also being scrutinised.

Another person of interest is hotelier Michael O’Hara, the first witness to give evidence on Monday in the eight-week inquiry chaired by ICAC Assistant Commissioner Fabian Gleeson.

The investigation was sparked when state Liberal MP Ray Williams used parliamentary privilege in 2022 to claim party powerbrokers were branch-stacking at Hills Shire Council in northwest Sydney.

The claims led to a parliamentary inquiry in 2023 that engaged professional process servers to search for Mr Perrottet’s brothers, Jean-Claude and Charles, without success.

Nassif was alleged to have drawn on his political connections through donations to facilitate favourable planning decisions.

The fugitive Sydney developer allegedly sought to damage the reputation of former transport minister David Elliott and to remove then-building commissioner David Chandler.

Developers are banned from making political donations.

Nassif fled to Lebanon in 2022 but is being pursued by NSW Police after a two-year fraud investigation.

A warrant has been issued for his arrest, while 57 companies linked with Toplace are in administration.

NSW shadow attorney-general Damien Tudehope stepped down from the front bench earlier in July after being called as a witness.

The senior Liberal, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, said the public hearings could become “an unnecessary distraction” as several people with whom he has had close political relationships are involved.