The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) has heard that a Labor councillor wrote that he had “fled Sydney” to avoid a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry before saying he was “back from hiding”, and consulted tarot cards before an attempt to force out a mayor.
Sharangan Maheswaran told Icac on Friday he did not want to appear at 2023 hearings of a parliamentary inquiry, which preceded Icac’s probe, but rejected the suggestion it was because he was privy to a scheme under which a property developer allegedly paid for political outcomes.
Investigation into alleged illegal donations
Icac is investigating the allegation that Liberal figures Christian Ellis, Jeremy Greenwood and Charles Perrottet took $2m in illegal donations from fugitive property developer Jean Nassif or his company Toplace, including in exchange for political outcomes such as the removal of the building commissioner David Chandler.
Greenwood and Perrottet have denied payments were for political outcomes. Ellis has moved overseas and is not expected to give evidence. Nassif, in an appearance from his Beirut bedroom, insisted he was “not corrupt”.
Travel to avoid summons
Icac has previously heard that Ellis, Greenwood and other members of the conservative factional group the Reformers avoided being served summonses to a parliamentary inquiry in early 2023, with Jean-Claude Perrottet travelling to Fiji.
On Friday, the commission heard that Maheswaran, a Toplace executive and lawyer to Nassif, also travelled to avoid being called to give evidence.
“I’ve fled Sydney in anticipation of the hearing tomorrow,” Maheswaran wrote to a friend in February 2023, explaining he had travelled to Cessnock in NSW’s Hunter Valley, so that “they can’t find me to serve me”.
After Maheswaran was not called or named in the inquiry, he wrote a day later: “I’m back, back from hiding. They didn’t call me.”
Maheswaran accepted counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC’s suggestion he did not want to give evidence, but rejected her suggestion it was because it would “draw a link” between his involvement in facilitating payment from Nassif to Ellis, Greenwood and Charles Perrottet and political outcomes.
Tarot cards and separate allegations
In a separate allegation, Icac is investigating whether Maheswaran, a former Strathfield Labor councillor, and fellow councillor Karen Pensabene engaged in conduct towards former mayor Matthew Blackmore including blackmail and possible breaches of the Surveillance Devices Act.
Maheswaran has denied any wrongdoing, while Pensabene has been released from her summons to appear before the commission for medical reasons.
On Friday, the commission heard that Maheswaran and Pensabene consulted tarot cards amid a plan to move on Blackmore as mayor. The commission has heard that Blackmore had gone back on a deal that he would resign to allow a Labor councillor to finish the term.
“Are you with your card reader?” wrote Pensabene in November 2022. “Yes,” wrote back Maheswaran, sending her a photo of the cards.
“Two of cups in a professional setting equals a strong friendship partnership, which equals us,” wrote Maheswaran to Pensabene, who agreed the reading was “very clear”.
“King of swords reversed,” Maheswaran continued. “This card reversed can represent someone who’s intelligent and talkative, but uses these qualities for negative means, such as to manipulate or hurt others,” he continued, later writing the card was “Matthew all over”.
Blackmore, who is not named as a person of interest in Icac’s allegations, is not accused of any wrongdoing.
In response to a question from presiding commissioner Fabian Gleeson about the seriousness of the discussion, Maheswaran said it was a “bit of a lark”.
“But I’d say there was a genuineness in the commentary,” he added.
Mookhey statement
On Friday morning, the commission heard that the NSW treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, referred allegations about Chandler to Icac after a meeting with Maheswaran in 2021.
In a 2023 statement read out on Friday, Mookhey wrote that Maheswaran was “surprised by my response” and “apologis[ed] a few times” after Mookhey said he could not ask questions about the allegations at budget estimates.
Chandler and Mookhey are not named as a persons of interest in Icac’s allegations and are not accused of any wrongdoing.
On Friday, Maheswaran accepted that he had asked Mookhey to ask questions at budget estimates of Chandler and then fair trading minister Kevin Anderson.
But he rejected Dwyer’s suggestion that by telling Mookhey “that he should be suspicious of David Chandler, you could get him to ask questions in the budget estimates that might ultimately prove damaging”.
Maheswaran is expected to appear again on Tuesday, in the 10th week of public hearings of Operation Rosny, originally scheduled to last for eight weeks. Icac’s inquiry continues.
