The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) has heard that two Liberal operatives traded photos and messages about whether to buy a Porsche or a Ferrari with payments they received for Toplace projects that were approved via a New South Wales government fast-track development process.
The inquiry on Monday heard evidence from lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood, a principal of Beckington Consulting, who is alleged to have shared in $2m in payments from the fugitive developer Jean Nassif, owner of the now collapsed Toplace. Greenwood, along with Charles Perrottet, a rightwing political powerbroker and brother of the former premier Dominic Perrottet, and Christian Ellis, a fellow conservative rightwing Liberal, are alleged to have received illegal political donations.
Text exchange over luxury cars
Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer presented a text exchange from around April 2020 between Greenwood and Ellis, in which they traded pictures of cars they desired. Greenwood sent a picture of a Porsche 911. Ellis replied: “I don’t know. The top of the range one. It’s just insane.” Greenwood responded: “There’s something about a red Ferrari always.” Ellis said: “That’s true too. That Ferrari is very nice, very very nice.” Greenwood noted: “It costs about 280, same as that Porsche.” Ellis concluded: “Ferrari. Definitely.”
Dwyer asked: “You ultimately settle on a Porsche, is that right?” Greenwood replied: “Yes, but not the $280,000 one.”
Alleged payments for fast-track approvals
Dwyer said this exchange indicated that at a 24 April meeting between Nassif, Charles Perrottet and Greenwood, huge payments for getting Nassif’s developments approved were discussed. Greenwood agreed that the trio were offered $1m per project if they were accepted for the fast track. The projects included 189 Macquarie Street in Parramatta, Garthowen in Castle Hill, O’Riordan Street in Mascot, a Cherrybrook project and perhaps one at either Clyde or Box Hill, he said.
The agreement was written on a scrap of pink paper that Nassif’s offsider Larissa Mouawad kept in her glasses case, he said. Dwyer expressed surprise that Greenwood had agreed to this given it was potentially worth $5m to Beckington if all projects were approved. Greenwood said that was just how Nassif did business.
Political outcomes and denials
Icac alleges that the payments were used to fund political outcomes, including the removal of the Hills Shire council and attempts to remove the building commissioner David Chandler, who had placed prohibition orders on Nassif’s developments due to defects. The $2m was in addition to the monthly retainer of $30,000 that Beckington had already agreed with Toplace.
Dwyer asked whether these payments from Nassif were also to be used to achieve political outcomes. “And those political outcomes included the Hills council, didn’t they?” she asked. Greenwood replied: “No, no, this money was just paying for delivery.” Earlier she had taken Greenwood to texts where Greenwood and Ellis talked about getting Ellis’s mother into the deputy mayoralty.
There were ultimately disagreements over paying for the Garthowen project, which involved a change to the Hills Shire local environment plan (LEP) and was a planning proposal approved in tranche three of the fast-track process, not a development approval (DA). The DA for 189 Macquarie Street, Parramatta project was approved in tranche five around August 2020. The discussion to share one-third with Charles Perrottet occurred separately, Greenwood said. At that meeting Greenwood said there were discussions about paying Charles’s payments to his wife, Anita, via her company Macquarie Consulting.
Dominic Perrottet is not a person of interest in Icac’s inquiry and is not accused of any wrongdoing. Charles Perrottet and Greenwood have denied taking illegal political donations. Ellis is overseas and is not expected to give evidence during the hearings. The inquiry continues.
