‘I made it up’: ex-premier’s brother on developer texts
Duncan Murray |
The brother of a former premier says he lied to a now-fugitive property developer about helping him push plans through government channels in order to keep him onside.
Charles Perrottet, a sibling of ex-NSW premier Dominic Perrottet, was accused of tying himself in knots at the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Monday.
“In politics sometimes you say things to people that aren’t 100 per cent the truth,” Mr Perrottet told the commission.
ICAC is investigating whether Liberal Party operatives, including Mr Perrottet, sought cash from fugitive Sydney developer Jean Nassif in exchange for political outcomes.
Political donations from developers have been banned in NSW since 2009.
The commission is also investigating allegations prohibited political donations were funnelled through third parties to support a Christian right-wing faction of the Liberal Party.
Dominic Perrottet is not accused of any wrongdoing.
In a message to Nassif in early 2021, Charles Perrottet suggested he was assisting him in advancing planning approvals for three separate developments.
Mr Perrottet claimed to have spoken to a contact in the Planning Delivery Unit, which operates to clear obstacles for stalled housing and developments.
Counsel assisting the inquiry Peggy Dwyer suggested the message set out a detailed plan to assist Nassif.
But Mr Perrottet said he didn’t actually have a contact in the unit and often made things up to tell Nassif to give him the view he was helping him.
“He would have asked me for my help,” he said.
“At times I would add my own political flavour to it to keep him on side … ultimately, I made it up.”
Mr Perrottet also said he was lying in a 2021 message to Nassif in which he appeared to discuss a political donation.
“Hi Jean, is there any chance I could drop over today to pick up that assistance for the upcoming pre-selections?” he said in the message.
But Mr Perrottet told the commission he may have been encouraging Nassif to pay his bills to consultancy firm, Beckington, owned by close associates of the Liberal operative.
“Again, I would have just made that up,” he said.
Dr Dwyer asked Mr Perrottet if he was waiting for evidence to prove he received money from Nassif before giving a straight answer.
“Mr Perrottet, you are tying yourself in knots to get around obvious messages about you picking up money from Mr Nassif,” she said.
“I disagree,” Mr Perrottet said.
Mr Perrottet fronted the commission briefly on Friday, admitting he met Nassif at least 10 times and that he may have told the developer he was working on getting rid of then-police minister David Elliott.
Nassif, who is due to give evidence via video link later in the week, left Australia for his ancestral homeland of Lebanon in late 2022.
A NSW police warrant has been issued for his arrest over fraud allegations, while his building empire Toplace collapsed into administration in mid-2023 while owing creditors billions of dollars.
AAP