Fugitive Developer Jean Nassif Gives Defiant ICAC Evidence From Beirut
Fugitive property developer Jean Nassif gave evidence to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption on 15 September 2026 by video link from his bedroom in Beirut.
Nassif, 58 and the former boss of Toplace, fled to Lebanon in 2022. According to the Daily Telegraph, his appearance from Beirut was his first public appearance in years. As of September 2026 he had been wanted by police for three years and was the subject of an international arrest warrant. The Guardian
The 15 September session was his second day in the witness box. He had first appeared before the inquiry on 14 September 2026, after producing a medical certificate to excuse himself from a scheduled appearance earlier in September. On 15 September he returned via video call from Lebanon for further examination by Peggy Dwyer SC, counsel assisting the inquiry, before Assistant Commissioner Fabian Gleeson SC. ABC News
The hearing forms part of Operation Rosny, reference E22/1018, the Commission's investigation into alleged breaches of electoral funding law. That is the set of rules on who can give money for elections and how it must be disclosed. The Commission has held a public inquiry as part of that operation since 27 July 2026. Its investigation page names Nassif and hotelier Michael O'Hara. The record so far includes a public transcript for 1 September 2026 covering pages 02699-02770 and an exhibit list uploaded on 10 September.
At issue is whether people associated with the NSW Liberals anticipated receiving $2 million in prohibited donations from Nassif in exchange for political outcomes. Prohibited donations are contributions the law bans outright, like a closed category of donors who cannot take part. The outcomes under examination included damage to the career of former NSW Liberal minister David Elliott and removal of then-building commissioner David Chandler.
Nassif rejected the premise. He was defiant. He told the commission "I'm going to speak my heart" and, during heated exchanges with Dwyer on 15 September, said on camera "stop fucking putting words in my mouth" and said "I'm not corrupt". At another point he told the commission "There is no one [who] can make me shut up".
He used the time to counter-attack. He claimed Elliott delayed approvals to put pressure on him. He accused Chandler of lying about defects in his buildings. 7NEWS reported that, while giving evidence from Beirut, Nassif used the witness box to launch an attack on his enemies.
The tone dominated immediate 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 carried remote-appearance footage from Beirut.
The broader context here is enforcement at a distance. A commission examining prohibited donations depends on testing the alleged donor's intent, knowledge and expectations of return. When that donor testifies from outside the jurisdiction, wanted and unwilling to return, the usual levers of compulsion and credibility testing operate differently. Counsel can probe, transcripts can record, but corroboration has to do heavier work.
Looking at what this means for Operation Rosny, the contest is now as much about weight as admissibility. Nassif's denials sit alongside his counter-claims against Elliott and Chandler, both of which the inquiry will need to measure against documents, communications and other witnesses rather than demeanour on a video feed. For readers following electoral funding matters, the next signal will be how the Commission treats anticipation of a prohibited donation as distinct from payment, and how it links any such expectation to specific political outcomes.
