One-time Liberal operative Charles Perrottet did not refer an apparent extortion attempt to extract $5 million from developer Jean Nassif to police or the corruption watchdog despite having concerns about the seriousness of the shakedown.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption has heard evidence that a supposed extortion attempt was sent to Nassif’s construction company Toplace suggesting the then building commissioner David Chandler would deliver favourable outcomes if a large sum of money was paid.
Perrottet on Friday told the commission he viewed the extortion attempt as serious but did not report it to the police or the ICAC because he assumed others would.
Assistant commissioner Fabian Gleeson, SC, asked Perrottet to explain why he would not take any action over what Perrottet believed was a serious extortion attempt.
“You’re unable to assist us as to actually what then happened thereafter with something you say was a genuine extortion attempt?” Gleeson asked. “Yes,” Perrottet said.
“So, what? It’s just a wet fish, is it? It just goes nowhere?” Gleeson asked.
“Well, it’s a matter for Sharangan [Maheswaran]. I don’t know what he did with it,” Perrottet said. Maheswaran was a Toplace executive at the time and is also a person of interest in this inquiry.
Perrottet told the commission it never occurred to him the extortion texts could have been fake. Chandler is not accused of wrongdoing and there is no suggestion he was involved in the alleged extortion attempt.
Counsel assisting Dr Peggy Dwyer, SC, asked Perrottet: “Did it occur to you that Mr Nassif might be writing the message himself or getting of his friends to write a message that made it look like an extortion attempt?”
Perrottet said he did not think it was “bogus”.
He also told the commission his promise to make calls on Nassif’s behalf to get the building commissioner “off his back” was likely a lie, although he was shown evidence that he actually spoke to then government staffer Chris Spence.
“Made that call this morning,” Perrottet texted Nassif after the call to Spence, who was then Liberal minister Anthony Roberts’ chief of staff.
“Can you get Sharangan to get me the extortion messages? They are of interest to get this stopped. Thanks,” the text said.
Dwyer asked Perrottet if he was trying to damage the career of Chandler, whose role was created to ensure oversight of dodgy practices in the building industry.
Perrottet said he was not sure about his level of knowledge about the role of the building commissioner, prompting Dwyer to suggest he was not being truthful in his answer.
“Mr Perrottet, you’re a clever man who’d been in the corridors of power for over a decade, correct?” Dwyer asked.
“I was involved in the Liberal Party,” Perrottet said.
Alexandra Smith is a senior writer and former state political editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.
Jessica McSweeney is a reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald covering state politics and urban affairs.Connect via email.
