Members of a group of young conservative Liberal power brokers accused of soliciting illegal donations held meetings to discuss their appearance before the New South Wales corruption watchdog, potentially breaching the law, an inquiry has heard.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) began the second of eight weeks of hearings as part of Operation Rosny on Monday.
The inquiry is investigating allegations that a group known as the Reformers solicited or accepted illegal donations to recruit or renew members to the party, a practice known as branch stacking, which is not itself illegal. The group wanted more conservative policies on same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia.
Robert Assaf, the first witness from the conservative rightwing Liberal factional group to give evidence, appeared before the commission again on Monday.
Under questioning from counsel assisting, Peggy Dwyer SC, Assaf admitted to having meetings with another person named in allegations, Jeremy Greenwood, after receiving summons to appear at a private hearing before the inquiry this year.
Asked about meetings at a cafe in Belfield and another on the Cooks River track in Sydney, Assaf admitted the men left their phones and laptops in Greenwood’s car before going for a walk so their conversations could not be traced.
Sign up for the Breaking News Australia emailDwyer asked: “Did you understand at that point in time, given what you were told when you received the summons, that it was important not to discuss your evidence?”
Assaf, who described being stressed and nervous after receiving communication from Icac, said that he did.
Dywer read to Assaf from his private interview with Icac, in which he described Greenwood at an earlier meeting saying he had met another Reformer, Jean-Claude Perrottet, and discussed how the latter would answer questions about allegedly receiving money from a prohibited donor, hotelier Michael O’Hara, for Reformers work.
Dwyer said: “Did it occur to you at that time that it was entirely wrong and contrary to the law for him to be coaching Jean-Claude about what evidence he should give to Icac?”
Assaf said: “I was definitely uncomfortable about the situation.”
Assaf, who on Monday described earlier fears that a fellow Reformer, Christian Ellis, would do something “Icac-worthy”, described becoming concerned about the group’s links to fugitive property developer Jean Nassif.
Icac is investigating the allegation that between 2020 and 2023, Liberal figures including Ellis, Greenwood and Charles Perrottet solicited or accepted donations “in exchange for the pursuit of outcomes sought by Mr Nassif”.
The inquiry heard that Assaf became particularly concerned by efforts of the Reformers, including Ellis, and Charles and Jean-Claude Perrottet, to stack Liberal branches in the Hills shire.
He said it was “standard brainwashing” to those who joined the conservative right faction that centre-right faction member and federal MP for Mitchell, Alex Hawke, had “backstabbed” the former NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, and become a “kingmaker” in the party.
He said the three Perrottet brothers were “were known to have this big vendetta against Hawke ever since”. Mitchell includes parts of the Hills shire.
Neither Hawke nor Dominic Perrottet is accused of any wrongdoing. Charles and Jean-Claude Perrottet have previously denied any wrongdoing.
Assaf said he initially voiced support for the Reformers appearing at the parliamentary inquiry into allegations of branch stacking in the Hills shire, prompted by a 2022 parliamentary speech by NSW Liberal state MP Ray Williams, believing they had done nothing wrong.
The inquiry has previously heard that Ellis, Jean-Claude and Charles Perrottet went to considerable effort to avoid summons to appear before the parliamentary committee, in Jean-Claude’s case travelling overseas.
On Monday, the inquiry heard it became a joke among other members of the group to call Assaf a “rat”, including sending him rat emojis. He claimed a staffer in the then office of Dominic Perrottet, Angus McCaffrey, acting as an “intermediary between other people”, including Charles Perrottet, discouraged him from appearing at the inquiry.
“[McCaffrey] wasn’t a fan of it primarily because others had said this can’t happen ... basically your career will be over if this happens,” said Assaf.
Assaf’s evidence also examined his time employed at Catholic Schools NSW, the governing body for 600 religious schools in the state, after being hired by chief executive Dallas McInerney, who is named in allegations for making prohibited donations and who has temporarily stepped aside from the role.
Last week, Assaf rejected evidence from Reformer associate and fellow Catholic Schools NSW employee Dylan Whitelaw that he spent 60% of his working hours time on factional work, saying it was more like 10 to 20%.
Asked on Monday about a message in which Jean-Claude Perrottet complained of not being compensated for Reformers work while “135k for Rob to work for faction”, Assaf rejected the idea that his Catholic Schools NSW salary was to reimburse him for factional work.
The inquiry adjourned early on Monday. The NSW shadow attorney general and Liberal leader in the upper house, Damien Tudehope, had been expected to appear but is now expected to appear on Tuesday.
Tudehope, who has stood aside from his shadow cabinet roles during the inquiry, is not named in any allegations and is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Businessman Frits Maré is also expected to appear on Tuesday. Maré, a witness at the parliamentary inquiry in 2023, described being asked by Ellis and Jean-Claude Perrottet to contribute $50,000 to an operation to unseat Hawke.
Jean-Claude Perrottet and Jeremy Greenwood will give evidence later this week.
