Clock starts for ‘hard man’ judge as nine-week ICAC probe finally wraps

Former judge Fabian Gleeson, SC, known as “the hard man of the NSW Court of Appeal”, will have 180 days after final submissions to hand down his findings from the blockbuster corruption inquiry into illegal Liberal Party donations, after more than nine weeks of evidence wrapped up on Tuesday.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption’s high-profile inquiry code named Operation Rosny has finished its public hearings following 38 days of evidence from 20 witnesses, which included former Liberal powerbrokers, fugitive developer Jean Nassif, and a private investigator.

ICAC presiding commissioner and one-time feared rugby back-rower, Fabian Gleeson, SC.KATE GERAGHTYThe commission has set a “standard time frame” of 180 days after final submissions for a report to be tabled to NSW parliament; however, witnesses in previous high-profile ICAC inquiries have waited longer for findings.

Former premier Gladys Berejiklian waited almost 20 months for a finding that she engaged in serious corrupt conduct for breaching the public trust by not disclosing her secret romance with disgraced MP Daryl Maguire.

Gleeson, who was described “affectionately” as the hard man of the Supreme Court in his swearing-out ceremony in May 2025, said he would impose “page lengths” on submissions, in a sign he does not want lengthy delays to his final report.

The final Operation Rosny witness was former Strathfield Labor councillor Sharangan Maheswaran, who was alleged to have engaged in blackmail and/or offences under the Surveillance Devices Act while waging a pressure campaign to force Strathfield’s then-mayor Matthew Blackmore to resign from the role.

Sharangan Maheswaran arrives at the ICAC on Tuesday.Sam MooyThe ICAC heard on Tuesday that private investigator Shane De Kauwe invoiced Nassif’s development company $134,000 for surveillance of Blackmore, which then-Labor councillor Maheswaran convinced Toplace to pay.

Maheswaran, who was also the lawyer for Toplace, said the surveillance work had a “tangential” connection to Nassif because Blackmore had “linked up” with another individual who Maheswaran believed was targeting him because of his association to the disgraced developer.

The commission heard on Tuesday that Nassif’s daughter Ashlyn raised the payment to De Kauwe as a personal expense for Maheswaran to cover, but he convinced her Toplace should pay the invoices because he was already owed money.

“I believe that Toplace paid it on the basis that I was insisting that I need to get this paid, and I will offset it against other liabilities you owe me because I regard the targeting of me by this individual to be linked to Toplace Pty Ltd,” Maheswaran said.

Maheswaran told the commission he only became aware De Kauwe was making covert audio recordings after he was provided with highly detailed notes.

He said when he asked De Kauwe to explain something in his surveillance notes, the private investigator said he would “go back and check”.

“That’s when it became apparent that he’d taken a recording. Now, Mr De Kauwe also said to me that he might record if there was obvious criminality involved and he said he was entitled to do so,” Maheswaran said.

Maheswaran told the commission he then sought legal advice for himself about the legality of making these recordings, which he passed on to De Kauwe. He has been ordered to provide that advice to the commission.

However, last week De Kauwe told the commission he only began to make audio recordings of Blackmore after receiving legal advice from Maheswaran, and his understanding was if he suspected criminality, he could record the conversation.

Maheswaran also offered to “stir up” Blackmore to try to capture damaging comments on a covert audio recording, the ICAC has heard. De Kauwe texted Maheswaran to let him know Blackmore was at a cafe.

“Have you got a good audio on him? If so I’ll stir him up,” Maheswaran said.

Maheswaran told the commission he thought he could prompt Blackmore into talking about council-related matters, and “things I thought he was orchestrating on the council at that point”.

Maheswaran later texted Labor councillor Karen Pensabene that he thought Blackmore realised he was “being watched”.

“Did we get caught?” Pensabene asked.

“Nah, but he was highly suss,” Maheswaran replied.

Maheswaran told the ICAC that Pensabene was aware of the surveillance but may not have been aware of the covert recordings.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.