ICAC proceedings involve accusations of manufactured evidence

Given that memory loss has been a key feature of this corruption inquiry, Jeremy Greenwood’s return for his sixth day in the witness box has provided some helpful reminders, especially about crowd favourite Anita Perrottet.

Greenwood was accused of “manufacturing evidence” about the “bogus” work Anita Perrottet did for him.

“You’re trying to stitch up your evidence and the lies are not, in fact, making up any sort of reasonable narrative,” suggested counsel assisting the inquiry, Dr Peggy Dwyer, SC.

At the heart of this inquiry is precisely what advice the sister-in-law of former premier Dominic Perrottet provided to be paid the extraordinary sum of $660,699 by Greenwood and Christian Ellis’s lobbying company, Beckington.

According to the evidence so far, the answer appears to be absolutely nothing.

The commission’s version is that Anita’s company, Macquarie Consulting, provided “sham invoices” to disguise her husband Charles’ one-third share of the $2 million dodgy developer Jean Nassif paid to Beckington.

At the time the money was paid, Charles Perrottet, a NSW Liberal Party powerbroker, was employed full-time in Melbourne as BP Australia’s head of strategy.

Nassif’s money was alleged to have been used by hard-right Liberal operatives to fund branch stacking and attempts to destroy Nassif’s enemies: police commissioner David Elliott and building commissioner David Chandler.

“Your evidence is ridiculous,” Dwyer offered several times as Greenwood attempted to validate Anita Perrottet’s insightful advice to him, which he said he passed on to the clients of his lobbying firm.

For example, when interrogated as to what advice Anita had provided to him on vaping, Greenwood suggested she offered a “mum’s perspective”.

Dwyer pressed Greenwood as to how old Perrottet’s children were when she was giving a “mum’s perspective”.

Greenwood retorted that the age of her children wasn’t relevant, which, in turn, earned him a rebuke from assistant commissioner Fabian Gleeson.

Greenwood was informed that Perrottet’s children were aged two and three when she was giving her advice.

“Did she give you a mum’s perspective on deterring under-fives from vaping?” Dwyer asked sardonically.

Last month, when she was giving evidence, Anita Perrottet was asked if she had given any advice to Greenwood for his client, tobacco giant Philip Morris. “That may have been part of his vaping. I’m not sure, I can’t remember,” she replied.

“So is your answer you can’t remember doing any work for Jeremy related to Philip Morris?” Dwyer asked.

Perrottet replied, “They may have been a vaping client. I’m, I just can’t remember, I’m sorry. My evidence is I can’t remember.”

Perrottet went on to say she had “memories of catching up with Jeremy and having conversations, going through things, but I don’t remember all the particulars”.

She also said that she wasn’t sure what research she may have done on vaping, but she may have “looked and read” articles on vaping “through my socials,” which she said were Instagram and Facebook.

“Oh, Mrs Perrottet, this is rubbish that you are making up because you don’t want the commission to have a way of checking whether or not you researched it on your computer,” Dwyer put to her. “That is not true,” she replied.

Such is the popularity of ICAC crowd favourite Anita Perrottet that the queen of the “I don’t recall”s has become the subject of her very own knock-knock joke, which was offered by a member of the public.

I neeta moment to think about it.

Jean Nassif was one witness who could have done with taking a moment to think. Due to his wild rantings, punctuated by angry finger-pointing when giving evidence via a video link from his Beiruit bedroom, it was hard to discern what he thought about anything except his narcissistic obsession with perceived Deep State conspiracies to destroy him and his development company.

“I paid funds for Beckington to help me with the nonsense being thrown on me and for their hard work. What they did in that fund after is not my business,” he fumed.

The hearing continues.

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