'Rotten apples': how ICAC undid the Liberal Party Expletive-ridden wire taps, dirt dossiers, secret plots to oust and install politicians and promises of money have all featured in a 10-week corruption probe. AAP · Oct 2
Inside the group chats of the trash-talking NSW young Liberals who dreamed big – then imploded The Reformers were once ‘twentysomething-year-old guys’ hoping to shift the NSW party to the right. Their messages show how it all went wrong The Guardian - AU · Oct 2
Blackmail, ‘mafia boys’ and rants from a Beirut bedroom – after 10 weeks of theatre what might Icac deliver? You could be forgiven for thinking the inquiry has been a bit of a damp squib. But high-profile resignations are not the only measure of Icac’s success The Guardian - AU · Sep 29
Pledge to 'wreck' mayor aired at corruption hearing A former councillor and rogue developer's lawyer admitted he planned to bring down a mayor, as a corruption inquiry probing Liberal Party figures concludes. AAP · Sep 29
Spy gear and Every Breath You Take: councillor who had mayor surveilled made jokes about it, Icac hears Sharangan Maheswaran tells inquiry he hired a private investigator to surveil a former mayor of Strathfield The Guardian - AU · Sep 29
Labor councillor ‘fled Sydney’ to avoid NSW parliamentary inquiry, Icac hears Sharangan Maheswaran rejects suggestion he fled because he knew about a scheme where a property developer allegedly paid for political outcomes The Guardian - AU · Sep 25
'You are in on it': ICAC probes alleged $5m shakedown Fake records about a purported $5 million bribe are alleged to have been cooked up by a fugitive developer's lawyer to smear a building tsar, a probe has heard. AAP · Sep 24
A ‘grubby rumour’ and a $5m extortion attempt: former Toplace executive gives Icac evidence Sharangan Maheswaran also told inquiry his bid for story on unsubstantiated rumour about then-Liberal minister David Elliott was ‘not a serious offer’ The Guardian - AU · Sep 23
Private investigator surveilled Liberal minister and supplied Jean Nassif with recording devices, Icac hears Shane de Kauwe tells corruption inquiry he was instructed by Toplace laywer Sharangan Maheswaran to investigate minister David Elliott The Guardian - AU · Sep 22
‘Oh shit’: Labor councillor who attended 2021 Liberal fundraiser was worried about potential Icac inquiry, Icac hears Texts reveal Sharangan Maheswaran had ‘an explanation ready’ but was worried about picture taken with future premier prompted by ‘dumb’ Christian Ellis The Guardian - AU · Sep 21
‘We have something that will kill Elliott’: Icac questions former Labor councillor over message Sharangan Maheswaran denies message he received about NSW minister was related to work for fugitive property developer The Guardian - AU · Sep 18
Rogue developer lied in evidence, former lawyer claims The former lawyer for a fugitive developer at the centre of a corruption probe has claimed his client had lied while giving evidence. AAP · Sep 18
Sydney real estate agent tells Icac his statement was written with ChatGPT not by Labor councillor Mohammad Abedin denies statement was written by a former Labor councillor under investigation for allegedly blackmailing a colleague, inquiry hears The Guardian - AU · Sep 17
‘It’s how Jean does business’: fugitive developer left Jeremy Greenwood ‘high and dry’, Icac hears Greenwood denies that invoices for almost $1m sent in a single day in September 2021 were ‘bogus accounts’ to cover up political donations The Guardian - AU · Sep 16
AAP · Sep 15 'I'm not corrupt': developer's furious tirade at probe A fugitive property developer giving evidence at a corruption inquiry has launched an angry tirade against the commissioner and its lead lawyer.
The Guardian - AU · Sep 15 ‘Mafia boys’ and ‘corrupt politicians’: fugitive developer Jean Nassif rants to Icac from Beirut bedroom Nassif declares ‘I’m not corrupt’, threatens to pull out of evidence and waves handwritten notes at counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer
The Guardian - AU · Sep 9 Liberal operative says request to be wired before meeting was ‘silly’ comment, Icac hears Jeremy Greenwood tells inquiry he does not remember a plan to release a false ‘mistress photo’ relating to David Elliott
AAP · Sep 7 Fugitive developer's daughter convicted over $150m loan The daughter of a fugitive property developer has escaped a jail term for fraud in aid of her father, who is being investigated by a corruption probe.
The Guardian - AU · Sep 7 Liberal operatives discussed whether to buy Porsche or Ferrari with developer’s payments, Icac hears Rightwing NSW powerbrokers are alleged to have received illegal political donations from fugitive developer
The Guardian - AU · Sep 7 Jean Nassif’s daughter avoids jail as court hears father ‘pressured’ her to falsify documents for $150m loan Ashlyn Nassif, daughter of Toplace boss who fled Australia in 2022, had pleaded guilty to providing false or misleading information to obtain loan from Westpac
The Guardian - AU · Sep 4 The Icac allegations are astounding – even with NSW’s inglorious history of corruption and property development The evidence presented so far raises some disturbing questions about the influence of certain figures in NSW politics
The Guardian - AU · Sep 4 Charles Perrottet denies asking brother as premier to appoint cabinet minister, Icac hears Charles says claims by developer Jean Nassif in an intercepted phone call that ‘we’re reshuffling the government’ did not reflect promises allegedly made to Nassif
The Guardian - AU · Sep 3 Property developer claimed ‘the premier is my best friend’ in tapped phone call, Icac hears Charles Perrottet, the younger brother of the former premier, tells Icac that claims made by Jean Nassif in the call were ‘bravado’ and ‘far-fetched’
AAP · Sep 3 Rogue developer boasted then-premier was 'best friend' A fugitive developer bragged about his political influence after a former premier's brother encouraged him to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Guardian - AU · Sep 1 Morning Mail: Albanese’s approval plummets; US airstrikes on Iran; and a Sydney uni’s chatbot tutors Our latest Essential poll shows backing for the PM and Labor has fallen; fresh hostilities in the Gulf quash peace talks hope