Developer's interests overlapped with Liberal faction's
A Liberal Party right-wing faction and rogue developer Jean Nassif were both interested in stacking party branches to gain political control.
But Charles Perrottet, a key member of the faction and brother of former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet, denies eliciting payments from the developer to do so.
Charles Perrottet faced a fourth day of giving evidence at an Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing on Tuesday.
ICAC is investigating allegations Liberal Party operatives, including Charles Perrottet, sought cash from Nassif in exchange for political outcomes.
It is also investigating allegations prohibited political donations were funnelled through third parties to support a Christian right-wing faction of the Liberal Party, known as the Reformers.
Charles Perrottet told the commission he may have been lying in a message where he outlined asking Nassif for money to take down then police minister David Elliot, a member of the rival Liberal centre-right faction.
In May 2021, Mr Perrottet and Nassif dined together at Melbourne's Nobu restaurant, where Nassif raised Mr Elliott opposing his developments, the commission was told.
Shortly after, Mr Perrottet messaged Nassif's lawyer and Toplace executive Sharangan Maheswaran relaying what occurred.
"I told Jean the best way to get the building commissioner off his back is to take the fight to Elliot and dismantle his infrastructure," Mr Perrottet wrote in the message.
Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer suggested Mr Perrottet and Nassif had an overlapping interest in getting rid of Mr Elliot and suggested the developer made payments to help remove him.
Mr Perrottet said he may have been lying in the message about what was discussed at the dinner and denied asking for money in exchange for political outcomes.
He said his aim was to give Nassif the impression of the right faction's "ascendancy" in Sydney's Hills district to encourage him to continue to pay for work being done by a consultancy firm owned by Mr Perrottet's close associates.
It included Dominic Perrottet and former treasurer and current MP Damien Tudehope, along with another brother, Jean-Claude Perrottet, and Christian Ellis.
The group agreed to a "meeting of the minds" at Mr Tudehope's home to discuss strategies for the right, after which Mr Ellis posted a summary of the meeting.
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