A key figure within the New South Wales Liberal Party has told the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) that he was left "high and dry" by fugitive property developer Jean Nassif, but did not pursue payment claims because it aligns with how Nassif operates. The revelation came during ongoing hearings examining allegations of corrupt payments linked to political outcomes.
Jeremy Greenwood appeared before Icac on Wednesday, following Nassif’s recent video testimony from Beirut in which the developer denied any corruption. The commission is investigating claims that Greenwood, along with former NSW Premier Charles Perrottet and Christian Ellis, received a total of $2 million between 2020 and 2023 from Nassif or his company, Toplace, allegedly in exchange for advancing political and development-related objectives.
Both Greenwood and Perrottet have maintained that the payments were for legitimate lobbying activities conducted through entities under their control. Greenwood oversees Beckington and JPG Advisory, while Ellis is associated with Beckington as well. Greenwood previously described a written agreement—reportedly noted on a purple-pink piece of paper—stipulating a $1 million payment for each Toplace development project that was expedited.
Addressing the inquiry, Greenwood disputed the suggestion that invoices amounting to nearly $1 million, sent in a single day by Beckington to Toplace in September 2021, were fraudulent or part of a scheme to disguise political donations. He rejected the characterization of any illicit arrangement, stating, “There’s no scheme.”
Despite acknowledging that Beckington did not receive all payments due from Toplace before starting to pay JPG Advisory in 2022, Greenwood was questioned why he had not sought to recover the outstanding amounts. His response implied resignation to Nassif’s business practices, saying, “You’ve met him now. It’s how Jean does business.”
The inquiry also revealed that Toplace collapsed in 2023 owing more than $1 billion after Nassif fled to Lebanon in late 2022. Both Greenwood and Ellis have identified themselves as creditors of Toplace. Ellis has publicly claimed that Beckington was owed $1.4 million for consultancy work carried out from 2019 to 2021.
When questioned about communications with Ellis regarding outstanding debts, Greenwood confirmed discussions had acknowledged the financial losses caused by Nassif’s departure. He conceded they believed Nassif had abandoned their financial commitments, stating, “We believe Jean left us high and dry.”
The commission continues to examine the nature of the payments and the extent to which they may have influenced political decisions during the period under scrutiny.