Former Toplace lawyer and Strathfield Labor councillor Sharangan Maheswaran has returned to the witness stand at the Independent Commission Against Corruption's Operation Rosny public hearings, continuing what has become a marathon appearance before the inquiry as it probes allegations of corruption, blackmail and links to fugitive developer Jean Nassif.
Surveillance, secret recordings and allegations of blackmail
Central to the inquiry's focus on Maheswaran are allegations that he hired a private investigator to conduct covert surveillance on then-Strathfield mayor Matthew Blackmore. Private investigator Shane De Kauwe gave evidence on Tuesday, describing the methods used during months of surveillance operations targeting the mayor.
De Kauwe told the commission that recording devices disguised as pens were used, along with cameras placed outside a block of flats. Among the recordings captured during one covert operation at Deli Fresh cafe in Homebush in December 2022, the largely indistinct audio yielded little of apparent significance — with "eggs on toast" and "a regular soy cap" among the few audible phrases recovered.
The surveillance operation has formed the basis of allegations of potential blackmail levelled against Maheswaran, as well as possible breaches of the Surveillance Devices Act.
Who is Sharangan Maheswaran — and what is Operation Rosny examining?
Maheswaran served as a councillor on Strathfield Council and worked as a lawyer for Toplace, the development company associated with Jean Nassif, who is understood to be a fugitive. The Operation Rosny inquiry is wide-ranging, examining Maheswaran's connections to Liberal party operatives, his relationship with Nassif, and conduct during his time at Strathfield Council.
The hearings continue to draw significant public interest given the number of figures implicated and the breadth of the alleged misconduct under scrutiny. Maheswaran is expected to face further questioning as the commission works through the evidence against him.
