Fractured factions revealed along with dodgy invoices, drama galore, and dirt files
Operation Rosny: Week 1 unpacked
It’s expected to take eight weeks but if the first week of the latest Independent Commission Against Corruption Inquiry is any measure, then standby.
Allegations concerning people associated with the Liberal Party of Australia (NSW Division), the CEO of Catholic Schools NSW Dallas McInerney, property developer Jean Nassif, hotelier Michael O’Hara, certain Strathfield councillors and others are at the heart of Operation Rosny.
There was mention of dirt files, “filthy schools money”, sham invoices, shake downs and more bathroom breaks than the recent three-week Operation Scandi inquiry combined.
Senior Liberal figures with direct Illawarra and Southern Highlands ties have been named in proceedings, most notably ICAC “person of interest” Catholic Schools NSW CEO and Mittagong Liberals branch president Dallas McInerney. His onetime branch vice-president gave evidence during week one while former Wollongong-based Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (whose plebiscite records formed the initial Reformers database), and the Lake Illawarra Hotel rated mentions.
Week 2 hearings begin on August 3 with NSW Liberal elder Damien Tudehope, who stepped down as opposition legal affairs spokesman after being called as a witness. He’s denied wrongdoing, saying he wanted to avoid distracting colleagues.
He will be followed by businessman Frits Mare, who told a 2023 NSW parliamentary inquiry that Jean-Claude Perrottet and Christian Ellis sought a $50,000 donation in 2019 to help unseat Alex Hawke through branch stacking. Mare said he did not donate.
Jean-Claude Perrottet, brother of former premier Dominic Perrottet, and Reformers associate Jeremy Greenwood are scheduled to appear later in the week.
Who said what on Week 1 of Operation Rosny
Here’s the TL:DR wrap of the week’s proceeding in front of Assistant Commissioner Fabian Gleeson SC with counsel assisting ICAC, Dr Peggy Dwyer, eliciting this information from the following witnesses
Michael O’Hara
Prohibited donor funding: O’Hara, a prohibited donor under liquor and gaming laws as a director of Paslibdan Pty Ltd who recently resigned his corporate directorship from the Lake Illawarra Hotel, admitted transferring $40k directly into the NSW Reformers’ bank account in 2018–2019.
Sham advisory invoices: From November 2020, O’Hara funneled $45k in $5,000 monthly retainers to Beckington Group under a sham agreement for “strategic wealth strategy investment advice” that was never delivered.
Rerouting retainers: After terminating the Beckington contract over MP Tanya Davies’ anti-vaccine stance, O’Hara redirected $80k directly to Jean-Claude Perrottet under bogus consulting invoices to continue funding branch recruitment.
Dylan Whitelaw
Peak body subsidies: The former Mittagong Liberal branch vice-president testified that Catholic Schools NSW CEO Dallas McInerney approved over $265k in retainers to shell consultancies Beckington Group and JPG Advisory while placing young factional operatives in unadvertised paid roles.
Recruitment on paid time: Whitelaw revealed that co-worker Robert Assaf spent roughly 60% of his paid Catholic Schools working hours conducting political branch stacking.
Ministerial solicitations & dirt files: Whitelaw confirmed drafting recruitment progress scripts for McInerney, including a message where McInerney sought an update to “shake down Angus [Taylor] for 10k”. Taylor is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Whitelaw also acknowledged drafting a “shit sheet” targeting MP David Elliott and recounted chief of staff Christopher Spence obtaining a video of Building Commissioner David Chandler OAM for Minister Eleni Petinos, later fuming that Petinos “effed it up”.
Robert Assaf
Stealth infiltration strategy: Assaf acknowledged that “the Reformers” aimed to recruit 5000 Christian conservatives to take over Liberal Party branches “through stealth”.
Admitted misuse of work hours: Assaf admitted conducting branch recruitment during paid working hours at Catholic Schools NSW.
Circumventing donation caps: He confirmed that $165k from prohibited donor O’Hara was funneled through the Reformers ($40k), Beckington ($45k), and Jean−Claude Perrottet ($80k) via bogus invoices to bypass statutory donation caps ($6100 limit) and bans.
ICAC has made no findings in Operation Scandi. All individuals named are the subject of allegations being examined at a public inquiry.
The ICAC is investigating allegations concerning people associated with the Liberal Party of Australia (NSW Division), the CEO of Catholic Schools NSW Dallas McInerney, property developer Jean Nassif, hotelier Michael O’Hara, certain Strathfield councillors and others. To read the allegations in full, go to the dedicated ICAC Operation Rosny page
