Catholic Schools NSW CEO appears at ICAC corruption inquiry

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is conducting Operation Rosny, an inquiry into whether consultancy contracts awarded by Catholic Schools NSW were used to disguise political donations to the Liberal Party.

Dallas McInerney, the CEO of Catholic Schools NSW who oversees nearly 600 schools, has stepped aside from his role to appear as a witness. The investigation focuses on whether contracts given to companies such as Beckington and JPG Advisory were for genuine services or were mechanisms to fund political recruitment activities.

Previous testimony has highlighted questionable conduct by lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood. Evidence presented to the commission indicated that Greenwood met with Jean-Claude Perrottet at a pub shortly after a secret preliminary examination, despite explicit instructions from ICAC officials not to discuss the proceedings. The inquiry also examined allegations regarding payments made to secure clients and efforts to avoid parliamentary inquiries.