‘Oh shit’: Labor councillor who attended 2021 Liberal fundraiser was worried about potential Icac inquiry, Icac hears

Texts reveal Sharangan Maheswaran had ‘an explanation ready’ but was worried about picture taken with premier prompted by ‘dumb’ Christian Ellis

A Labor councillor feared his presence at a Liberal fundraiser attended by Dominic Perrottet would result in him being forced to give evidence to the New South Wales anti-corruption commission , the watchdog has heard.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) heard on Monday that after an incendiary speech by a NSW MP, which led to allegations being referred to the watchdog, Sharangan Maheswaran wrote “Oh shit, did he touch on me?” and asked for “that invoice for the Dom lunch fixed up”.

Icac is examining whether Liberal factional operatives Christian Ellis, Jeremy Greenwood and Charles Perrottet, the younger brother of Dominic Perrottet, received $2m in illegal donations from property developer Jean Nassif in exchange for political outcomes.

Dominic Perrottet is not named as a person of interest and is not accused of wrongdoing.

Former Strathfield councillor Maheswaran was a lawyer to Nassif and became an executive at Nassif’s company, Toplace, in September 2020.

In June 2022, the NSW Liberal MP Ray Williams used parliamentary privilege to allege senior members of the party had been “paid significant funds” to install new councillors on the Hills Shire council to support Toplace development applications.

After the speech, the then-premier Dominic Perrottet referred the allegations to Icac.

On Monday, Maheswaran was shown a photo of him and Ellis at an April 2021 fundraiser for Hawkesbury Liberal MP and former Hills Shire councillor Robyn Preston. They were pictured alongside others including Dominic Perrottet who at the time was NSW treasurer.

Preston is not named as a person of interest in Icac’s allegations and is not accused of any wrongdoing.

After Ellis contacted Maheswaran about Williams’ speech, the commission heard that the councillor wrote “Oh shit, did he touch on me?” and asked for his name on a payment form for the fundraiser, sent to Ellis’ mother, Liberal Hills Shire councillor Virginia Ellis, changed to that of his company Anwalt Pty Ltd.

The inquiry heard that Maheswaran wrote to fellow Labor Strathfield councillor Karen Pensabene about a potential referral of Toplace to Icac, saying: “I just don’t want to have to give evidence.”

He wrote that he was concerned about his attendance at the fundraiser: “I think it should be fine, but it looks bad.”

Maheswaran told the commission he attended the event after telling Nassif, who had received an email invitation, that he couldn’t attend and donate being a property developer.