Former Labor councillor Sharangan Maheswaran appeared before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) on Friday to explain a message he received from lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood that read, “We have something that will kill Elliott.” Maheswaran said the message was unrelated to political work for the fugitive property developer Jean Nassif, who had been linked to the lobbying firm Beckington. He denied that the message was part of a scheme to damage the reputation of former NSW Liberal minister David Elliott.
Maheswaran, who left council in 2021, had been a lawyer for Nassif and became an executive at her company Toplace in September 2020. He admitted to receiving $1.4 million from Toplace between 2020 and 2023 but said he had not disclosed his close ties to the developer when he was nominated for council, a disclosure that Icac said was required by law. He also explained that he had first met Nassif through her daughter Ashlyn, who was recently sentenced for fraud related to a $150 million construction loan.
The commission is probing whether Greenwood, Liberal figures Charles Perrottet and Christian Ellis, and Nassif arranged prohibited donations of $2 million to influence political outcomes, including attempts to remove Elliott. It is also examining possible blackmail, breaches of the Surveillance Devices Act, and the conduct of Maheswaran and fellow councillor Karen Pensabene, who was excused from a summons for medical reasons.
When asked whether he had assisted Nassif in achieving a political outcome, Maheswaran said he was not involved in that objective. He maintained that his actions were lawful and in the public interest, a claim he intends to defend before a fair tribunal.
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