ICAC Operation Rosny LIVE updates: Former Toplace lawyer, Strathfield Labor councillor Sharangan Maheswaran to resume evidence

8.35am

Jean Nassif knew Charles Perrottet was lying to him about money going to Liberal faction

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Sharangan Maheswaran has told the commission that he did not pass on a message to his boss Jean Nassif from a Liberal operative because he thought what he was being told was “false” and “comical”.

Maheswaran is being pressed on whether conveyed a message from Jeremy Greenwood, from the lobby firm Beckington, about Nassif needing to pay his overdue invoices or else he risked damaging the “political capital” Charles Perrottet had built up.

The former Labor councillor says he didn’t bother relaying that message to Nassif because he thought what Greenwood was claiming was false, and he did not believe that the payments going to Toplace were for political machinations.

Peggy Dwyer, SC, put to Maheswaran: “You understood from reading that message, and no doubt conversations with Jeremy Greenwood, that money being paid to Beckington was being used to build up the right faction of the Liberal Party.”

Maheswaran disagreed.

“I suggest that this is about Mr Nassif’s persistent request that Mr Perrottet make introductions to Mr Greenwood for the purpose of undertaking, frankly, benign tasks, and in doing so, was exhausting what might be described as political capital, built up through decades of work, as opposed to any assistance Mr Nassif provided,” Maheswaran responded.

Maheswaran says Nassif knew Charles Perrottet was lying to him at times about how the money was spent.