Fugitive Developer Testifies by Video From Beirut: What Happened
Fugitive property developer Jean Nassif gave evidence to NSW's anti-corruption body on 15 September 2026 by video from his bedroom in Beirut.
Nassif is 58. He once ran the builder Toplace. He fled to Lebanon in 2022. According to the Daily Telegraph, this was his first public appearance in years. As of September 2026 police had wanted him for three years and he faced an international arrest warrant. The Guardian
15 September was his second day as a witness. He first appeared on 14 September 2026 after giving a medical certificate to miss a planned date earlier in September. He returned by video from Lebanon for more questions from Peggy Dwyer SC, the lawyer helping the inquiry, before Assistant Commissioner Fabian Gleeson SC. ABC News
The hearing is part of Operation Rosny, case E22/1018. It looks at alleged breaches of electoral funding law, the rules for money in politics. The public inquiry started 27 July 2026. Its page names Nassif and hotel owner Michael O'Hara. The file includes a public transcript for 1 September 2026, pages 02699-02770, and an exhibit list posted 10 September.
The key question is whether people tied to the NSW Liberals expected $2 million in banned donations from Nassif for political outcomes. Think of banned donations like gifts the rules say politicians cannot accept. The outcomes were damage to former NSW Liberal minister David Elliott's career and removal of then-building commissioner David Chandler.
Nassif rejected this. He was defiant. He said "I'm going to speak my heart." In heated exchanges with Dwyer on 15 September he said on camera "stop fucking putting words in my mouth" and "I'm not corrupt." He also said "There is no one [who] can make me shut up."
He hit back. He claimed Elliott delayed approvals to pressure him. He accused Chandler of lying about defects in his buildings. 7NEWS reported he used the witness box from Beirut to launch an attack on his enemies.
Tone dominated early coverage. On 14 September 2026 the Sydney Morning Herald published Bevan Shields' piece titled 'Sweat, swears and smears: Deconstructing Jean Nassif's explosive ICAC appearance'. 9News Sydney and 7NEWS Sydney both showed the Beirut video.
The broader context here is what happens when a witness is far away. A case about banned donations needs to test what the donor knew and wanted in return. When that donor speaks from outside the country, wanted and unwilling to return, the normal tools to force answers and check truth work differently. Lawyers can ask questions and everything is written down, but other proof must do more work.
Looking at what this means for Operation Rosny, the fight is now about how much weight to give his words. Nassif's denials sit next to his claims against Elliott and Chandler. The inquiry will need to check those against papers, messages and other witnesses, not just how he looked on video. The next step is how the Commission treats expecting a banned donation, which is different from paying it, and how it ties any such hope to clear political results.
