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‘Send food photos’: lobbyist paid for former premier’s brother to go to Fiji to avoid inquiry, Icac hears

The Guardian · 🇬🇧 public United Kingdom · · 1073 words · By Penry Buckley
Political Corruption Legal Proceedings Institutional accountability
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What to know about Political Corruption

A Liberal figure under investigation for allegedly accepting illegal political donations has told an inquiry he paid for the brother of former premier Dominic Perrottet to travel to Fiji and urged the CEO of Catholic Schools NSW to “go to Brisbane” to avoid…

Claims checked 16
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left17%
Center66%
Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

A Liberal figure under investigation for allegedly accepting illegal political donations has told an inquiry he paid for the brother of former premier Dominic Perrottet to travel to Fiji and urged the CEO of Catholic Schools NSW to “go to Brisbane” to avoid…

Why it matters

Consultant and lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood gave his third day of evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s (Icac) Operation Rosny on Wednesday.

Common ground

Icac is investigating whether the Christian Liberal group the Reformers solicited or accepted prohibited donations for the recruitment or renewal of members to the party.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/12/members-of-liberal-group-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 16 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 6
check_circle Corroborated 5
info Single Source 2
help Insufficient Evidence 1
verified Verified 1
verified Verified By Reference 1
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Claim 1: “Greenwood on Wednesday admitted to giving Jean-Claude Perrottet his credit card details so he could book flights to Fiji.”
CORROBORATED
The Guardian and The Canberra Times both report that Greenwood admitted to providing credit card details to Jean-Claude Perrottet for flights to Fiji.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dominic Perrottet is not named as a person of interest in Icac’s allegations. Greenwood on Wednesday admitted to giving Jean-Claude Perrottet his credit card details so he could book flights to Fiji.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/12/membe…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Greenwood paid for Perrottet’s flights on his credit card and provided money while he was in Fiji. Greenwood agreed he suggested to another target of the inquiry, Sharangan Maheswaran, that Nassif cou…
https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/dirt-files-fiji-trips…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jeremy Greenwood paid for Jean-Claude Perrottet to fly to Fiji to avoid being summoned to a 2023 inquiry, the former staffer turned lobbyist told NSW's Independent Commission Against Corruption on Wed…
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9329045/premiers-brot…
schedule
Claim 2: “Greenwood said he had spoken to Ellis, who has moved to the UK”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 3: “Greenwood also met with Jean-Claude Perrottet at a pub in Sydney after Greenwood’s compulsory examinations with the watchdog in June 2025”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 4: “Reformer Robert Assaf... had met with Greenwood on multiple occasions this year after receiving summons to appear before Icac, leaving their phones in the car.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to support the claim regarding Robert Assaf meeting Greenwood and leaving phones in the car.
verified
Claim 5: “the latter [Jean-Claude Perrottet] negotiated a $165,000 employment contract with Catholic Schools NSW while he avoided the parliamentary inquiry in 2023.”
VERIFIED
Evidence from reports on Dallas McInerney's ICAC testimony confirms that Jean-Claude Perrottet was hired on a base salary of $165,000 by Catholic Schools NSW.
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web search NEUTRAL — Catholic Schools NSW distributes $3.5 billion in state and federal funding each year for the diocesan school system.John Perrottet, the father of Jean-Claude and Charles, has stood down from his Catho…
https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/nsw/icac-probes-invoice-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The commission has heard McInerney terminated Catholic Schools NSW’s contract with Beckington after concerns from the education body’s board that it was not getting value for money.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/nsw/jean-claude-pe…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — When Catholic Schools NSW wound up its contract with Beckington in 2021 it signed a new deal with JPG Advisory.The Catholic schools boss hired Jean-Claude Perrottet on a base salary of $165,000.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/nsw/he-s-never-been-calle…
schedule
Claim 6: “the inquiry heard Reformers members received a “kickback” from consultancy payments made by Catholic Schools NSW”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 7: “Catholic Schools NSW, the governing body for more than 600 schools in the state.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 8: “Nearly 80% of funding for Catholic Schools NSW comes from federal and state funding, or about $3.8bn in 2024.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 9: “The inquiry heard that he also arranged for three loans worth $25,000 to be paid to him for the trip in February 2023 via his lobbying firm JPG Advisory.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results (BMW car reviews, travel tips, and a list of Puerto Ricans) and does not mention loans or JPG Advisory in this context.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of notable people from Puerto Rico which includes people who were born in Puerto Rico (Borinquen) and people who are of full or partial Puerto Rican descent. Puerto Rican citizens are i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Puerto_Ricans
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — #3시리즈 #3Series #320i 2023 BMW 3 Series 320i Facelift LCI M Sport Package Exterior & Interior In-Depth Walkaround, Detailed First Look, Visual Review, POV1,99...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGdNday0NFo
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Three European Cities Where Pickpocketing is an Art.
https://www.tripsavvy.com/safety-4138676
+ 1 more evidence source
info
Claim 10: “Greenwood admitted that he himself had avoided summons he considered “invalid”, accepting the offer of a private security guard outside his home from Sharangan Maheswaran”
SINGLE SOURCE
The Guardian mentions that Greenwood admitted to avoiding summons and accepting a security guard from Sharangan Maheswaran, but this specific detail is not corroborated by the other provided snippets.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — " Jeremy " is a song by American rock band Pearl Jam, with lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music composed by bassist Jeff Ament. "Jeremy" was released in August 1992 as the third single fr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_(song)
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jeremy (/ ˌdʒɛrɛmi / JERR-em-ee) is an English language male given name, deriving from various translations and interpretations as the anglicized and diminutive form of the Hebrew given name Jeremiah.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_(given_name)
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Oct 25, 2009 · Originally released in 1992, the Jeremy video brought attention to gun violence, teen suicide, and violence in schools. The original uncensored video, previously unreleased, is being sh…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS91knuzoOA
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Claim 11: “Icac is investigating the allegation that, between 2020 and 2023, Nassif made prohibited donations to Greenwood, Ellis and Charles Perrottet in exchange for outcomes sought by Nassif.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent cross-references from The Guardian confirm that Icac is investigating prohibited donations from Nassif/Toplace to Ellis, Greenwood, and Charles Perrottet between 2020 and 2023.
compare_arrows
cross reference SUPPORTS — The corruption watchdog is examining a second allegation that between 2020 and 2023, Nassif and his company Toplace made prohibited donations solicited or accepted by Christian Ellis, Jeremy Greenwood…
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/aug/06/…
compare_arrows
cross reference SUPPORTS — the corruption watchdog is examining an allegation that between 2020 and 2023, Nassif and his company Toplace made prohibited donations solicited or accepted by Ellis, Jeremy Greenwood and Charles Per…
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/06/jean-…
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Claim 12: “Icac is investigating whether the Christian Liberal group the Reformers solicited or accepted prohibited donations for the recruitment or renewal of members to the party.”
CORROBORATED
The Guardian and other reports on Operation Rosny confirm that Icac is investigating allegations that the 'Reformers' group solicited or accepted illegal donations.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) began the second of eight weeks of hearings as part of Operation Rosny on Monday. The inquiry is investigating allegations that a group known as th…
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/03/icac-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The ICAC is investigating whether Perrottet, and several others, solicited or accepted allegedly illegal political donations from prohibited donors. Perrottet, who was paid $5000 by Beckington on May …
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/jean-claude-perrottet-pa…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Follow for live updates as the Independent Commission Against Corruption investigates links between Liberal Party figures, fugitive property developer Jean Nassif and Catholic Schools NSW.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/nsw/icac-operation-rosny-…
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Claim 13: “Sharangan Maheswaran... was a lawyer to fugitive property developer Jean Nassif and his company Toplace.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm Sharangan Maheswaran's role as an executive/lawyer for Jean Nassif and the company Toplace.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Officials seized Sharangan Maheswaran’s mobile phone and laptop when he arrived on a flight from Singapore just two days after dramatic police raids on Nassif’s Sydney home and office.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/strathfield-councillor-a…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Toplace founder Jean Nassif once described himself as the "number one builder/developer on the face of the Earth".Mr Maheswaran was reportedly an executive at Toplace before being elected to the counc…
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-25/nsw-key-figures-icac-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — ...that he himself had avoided summons he considered “invalid”, accepting the offer of a private security guard outside his home from Sharangan Maheswaran, who is also named in Icac’s allegations, and…
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/12/membe…
schedule
Claim 14: “Greenwood has admitted commissioning [a 'shit sheet'] on Elliott”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 15: “Greenwood sent [Dallas McInerney] a message in which he said: “WTF. Go to Brisbane”.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the evidence mentions Dallas McInerney and Jeremy Greenwood appearing at the inquiry, none of the provided snippets contain the specific quote 'WTF. Go to Brisbane'.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jeremy Greenwood passed on a message from his friend indicating he did want to cooperate, but counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer, SC, said offers had been made to support a video link with Ellis in the UK …
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/nsw/icac-operation…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dallas McInerney at The Sydney Morning Herald Schools Summit in 2024. Rhett Wyman. McInerney will return to the witness box on Wednesday for a fresh set of questions.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/nsw/he-s-never-been-calle…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — However, Mr Greenwood told the inquiry it was not created to help Nassif gain political leverage, but instead defended him from attacks he faced from the then-police minister. A lawyer for Mr Elliott …
https://thenightly.com.au/politics/catholic-schools-nsw-boss…
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Claim 16: “Consultant and lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood gave his third day of evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s (Icac) Operation Rosny on Wednesday.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (The Guardian, ICAC Operation Rosny reports) confirm Jeremy Greenwood's appearance at the Operation Rosny hearings on Wednesday.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New South Wales Liberal Party, officially called The Liberal Party of Australia, New South Wales Division, and colloquially known as the NSW Liberals, is the state division of the Liberal Party of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_South_Wales_Liberal_Party
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Greenwood’s appearance as a witness took up most of week three at the ICAC’s Operation Rosny, while Catholic Schools NSW CEO and Liberal Party powerbroker Dallas McInerney also appeared. Here are five…
https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/dirt-files-fiji-trips…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood departs the ICAC Operation Rosny hearings on Wednesday. George Chan.“Play the tape,” came the call from the cheap seats after Dwyer called for a five-minute break.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/the-great-deflector-defl…
+ 1 more evidence source
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.