ICAC Operation Rosny LIVE updates: Jean Nassif, former Strathfield mayor Matthew Blackmore’s evidence to resume

Updated September 15, 2026 — 10:08am,first published September 15, 2026 — 9:35am

Matthew Blackmore has returned to the witness box, answering questions about his employment in the real estate industry.

Counsel assisting Hugo Wilesmith has told the commission he expects Blackmore’s evidence will only take around half an hour this morning.

Today’s witnesses will span allegations two and three in the ICAC’s wide-ranging inquiry. Here’s a reminder of what the corruption inquiry is investigating:

Allegation 1

Whether, between 2019 and 2023:

• Christian Ellis, Jeremy Greenwood, Robert Assaf and Jean-Claude Perrottet solicited or accepted political donations, including from prohibited donors, in amounts that were not declared and exceeded applicable donation caps, for purposes that included the recruitment and/or renewal of members to the Liberal Party.
• Political donations, in amounts that were not declared and exceeded applicable donation caps, were made by Catholic Schools New South Wales, pursuant to payments arranged and approved by its Chief Executive Officer, Dallas McInerney, for purposes that included the recruitment and/or renewal of members to the Liberal Party through sham contracts.
• Political donations, in amounts that were not declared and exceeded applicable donation caps, were made by prohibited donor and hotelier Michael O’Hara, for purposes that included the recruitment and/or renewal of members to the Liberal Party.

These could involve offences under the Electoral Funding Act.

The current explosive NSW corruption inquiry appears to have a worldwide audience, including someone regularly dialling in from Lebanon.

It turns out that the “someone” is notorious developer Jean Nassif, also known as “The Fugitive” on account of him fleeing the country in December 2022. There is a warrant out for his arrest over allegations of serious fraud offences.

Hopefully, there was no one asleep in Nassif’s house at 7am local time as the developer gave evidence – in a most vigorous fashion – from his Beirut bedroom.

Hello and welcome back to our live coverage of the ICAC’s Operation Rosny public hearings.

I’m state political reporter Jessica McSweeney, and I’ll be bringing you all the news updates as they happen from the hearing room. Today Jean Nassif is back for another blockbuster afternoon of evidence – we can expect more sprays against his political enemies as Peggy Dwyer, SC, questions the developer about his payments to Jeremy Greenwood and Christian Ellis.

Before Nassif joins from Beirut, the ICAC will this morning hear more evidence from former Strathfield mayor Matthew Blackmore as the corruption inquiry investigates allegations he was the victim of a pressure campaign, including five months of surveillance, to force him to quit as mayor.

Before then, let’s take a look at what we covered yesterday:

• Jean Nassif appeared via video link before the corruption inquiry and vowed to “speak my heart” before answering questions about allegations he made unlawful donations to Liberal Party figures to support factional work in exchange for political favours.
• Nassif insisted he paid Jeremy Greenwood and Christian Ellis for work to support his development projects, and said he did not pay Charles Perrottet, but said Perrottet would encourage him to pay Beckington and say words to the effect of “the boys needed [the money] for recruitment and for Liberal activities”.
• Nassif said he felt if he didn’t pay he would upset Charles Perrottet and would lose his friendship.
• The property developer was played tapes of intercepted phone calls with associated in which he bragged of influence in Liberal Party factional matters and claimed to own 52 per cent of power in the government. Nassif said he was speaking “nonsense” to anyone to make David Elliott feel like Nassif still had power.
• Former Strathfield mayor Matthew Blackmore detailed allegations former Labor councillor and Toplace staffer Sharangan Maheswaran waged a pressure campaign to force him to step down as mayor. That included surveilling him for five months and printing attack flyers against him, Blackmore said.