NSW corruption inquiry implicates ex-minister David Elliott, fugitive developer Jean Nassif, and Liberal factions
Consensus Summary
The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is investigating allegations of corruption involving former police minister David Elliott and fugitive property developer Jean Nassif, who is accused of influencing Elliott’s 2021 removal from cabinet. Elliott testified on August 21, [DATE UNVERIFIED], that Nassif confronted him twice, left threatening messages, and orchestrated a campaign of negative media stories, including baseless rumors of an affair during his wife’s cancer treatment. He also alleged Nassif pressured his former chief of staff and hired private investigators to surveil him, describing one as ‘the Maxwell Smart of the PI world.’ Elliott linked Nassif’s actions to the developer’s 2019 cocaine arrest at The Star casino, which he claims Nassif used to discredit him. The inquiry also examined allegations that senior Liberal MPs Chris Rath and Damien Tudehope obstructed a 2023 parliamentary inquiry by aiding lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood. Elliott, a member of the centre-right faction, accused the ‘religious right’ or ‘cult’ faction—led by figures like Charles Perrottet and Anthony Roberts—of orchestrating his downfall, including through branch-stacking that blocked his 2023 preselection bid for Castle Hill. Meanwhile, former minister Eleni Petinos testified she was sacked in July 2022 as a scapegoat to deflect attention from building commissioner David Chandler, alleging gender bias in how her dismissal was handled compared to male colleagues.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Elliott claimed Jean Nassif influenced his removal as police minister in a 2021 cabinet reshuffle, linking it to Nassif’s 2019 arrest for cocaine possession at The Star casino.
- Elliott stated Nassif confronted him twice in public, including once in a Parramatta bar where Nassif allegedly ‘did the finger in the chest’ after Elliott refused to meet him, describing the encounter as lasting ‘three to four minutes’.
- Elliott alleged Nassif left a threatening voice message on his phone saying ‘get’ him and pressured his former chief of staff, Tanya Raffoul, to provide information about him.
- Elliott described being followed by private investigators, including one incident where he photographed a surveillance vehicle parked near his home, calling the investigator ‘the Maxwell Smart of the PI world’ (referencing the 1960s TV show).
- ICAC previously heard allegations that senior Liberal MPs Chris Rath and Damien Tudehope remained in contact with lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood to avoid giving evidence to a 2023 parliamentary inquiry.
- Elliott said he decided not to seek Liberal preselection for Castle Hill in 2023 due to branch-stacking by the party’s ‘religious right’ faction.
- Jean Nassif is a fugitive in Lebanon with an arrest warrant for alleged fraud involving multimillion-dollar loans to his company, Toplace.
- Charles Perrottet is named as a person of interest in the ICAC inquiry over allegations of illegal donations from Jean Nassif and is scheduled to give evidence next week.
- Former fair trading minister Eleni Petinos was sacked by Dominic Perrottet in late July 2022, though she denies bullying allegations and believes she was used as a scapegoat to deflect attention from building commissioner David Chandler.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Elliott said he is considering legal action against those who made ‘slanderous things’ about him but did not name anyone specifically.
- Elliott linked Nassif’s campaign against him to negative media stories after Elliott responded to community concerns about one of Nassif’s developments.
- Elliott described surveillance images of his wife as ‘very creepy’ and said Nassif warned his political career could be over.
- Elliott characterized factions within the NSW Liberal Party as the ‘hard right,’ ‘right,’ ‘religious right,’ or ‘cult’ depending on who he was talking to.
- Elliott alleged Nassif’s company, Toplace, was behind large developments at Castle Hill (Skyline and Atmosphere) and sought approval for another at Cherrybrook.
- Several Toplace buildings have been slapped with rectification orders by the NSW building commissioner, David Chandler.
- Elliott claimed Nassif’s chief of staff threats to Tanya Raffoul were delivered through the Maronite church she attended.
- Elliott said Dominic Perrottet ‘looked him in the eye’ at a farewell parade for police commissioner Mick Fuller and promised he could keep the police portfolio, only to move him to transport.
- Elliott described Charles Perrottet as ‘joined at the hip’ with Dominic Perrottet and said he was consulted on the 2021 reshuffle.
- Elliott said he was ‘so disgusted with Charles [Perrottet] because he lied to me about the council’ after the Liberal party’s state executive replaced centre-right councillors before the 2022 local government elections using special powers.
- Elliott left the ICAC offices smiling broadly after testifying, saying it ‘feels weird to be the first Liberal who was happy to appear before ICAC.’
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The ABC states Elliott is ‘considering legal action’ against unnamed individuals, while the Guardian does not mention this specific plan.
- The Guardian specifies that Nassif’s threats to Tanya Raffoul were delivered ‘through the Maronite church she attended,’ while the ABC does not mention the church’s involvement.
- The Guardian includes details about Toplace’s developments (Skyline, Atmosphere, Cherrybrook) and rectification orders from building commissioner David Chandler, which the ABC does not mention.
- The Guardian describes Dominic Perrottet’s broken promise to Elliott about keeping the police portfolio in more detail, including the context of the farewell parade for Mick Fuller, which the ABC omits.
- The ABC does not mention Eleni Petinos’s testimony about being used as a scapegoat to deflect attention from David Chandler, which the Guardian reports in detail.
Source Articles
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David Elliott and Eleni Petinos believe they were brought down by their own party. The Icac hearing has given them a chance to set the record straight Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Revenge, they say, is a dish best served cold. It’s been almost four years since the former New South Wales MP, David Elliott, announced that he would not seek preselection for a seat in the Hills in greater Sydney after his own seat was abolished. He had realised that, thanks to branch