Former Labor Councillor Launches Legal Action Against Independent Mayor

Sharangan Maheswaran, a former Strathfield Labor councillor, has taken legal action against his political nemesis, independent mayor Matthew Blackmore. Maheswaran is accusing Blackmore of spreading malicious rumours about him, which will be examined during the Independent Commission Against Corruption's (ICAC) blockbuster inquiry, Operation Rosny.

Maheswaran, a lawyer and long-time ALP member, claims Blackmore's allegations against him were 'slanderous and driven by malice'. The ICAC inquiry will also look into allegations that Maheswaran tried to blackmail Blackmore. In January 2023, Blackmore took notes of an extraordinary meeting with Maheswaran, where the councillor told him he had been trailed by a private investigator who secretly recorded meetings at cafés and pubs.

Blackmore told colleagues that Strathfield councillor Karen Pensabene was also present at this meeting, where Maheswaran threatened to release information that would make the mayor look bad. Maheswaran does not deny that he hired an investigator to follow Blackmore, with the lawyer's go-to firm for surveillance being Elite Risk Services, led by former Australian Federal Police officer Shane de Kauwe.

De Kauwe was reluctant to comment on the matters due to the forthcoming ICAC inquiry. Maheswaran said Blackmore's allegations against him were a 'malicious campaign of whispers inspired by pure malice'. Blackmore declined to comment, stating, 'It's before the ICAC and I trust ICAC to investigate the matter fully.'

The ICAC inquiry will also examine allegations that Maheswaran has links to fugitive property developer Jean Nassif, who allegedly used private investigators to damage the career of former police minister David Elliott. Nassif has been accused of using branch-stacking tactics to install people who would be more amenable to approving his questionable developments.

Nassif boarded a flight to Dubai on December 9, 2022, and has never returned. The ICAC inquiry will start public hearings on July 27, which will examine these and other allegations.

'There is abundant evidence that Mr Blackmore's allegation is a fabrication and driven by malice,' Maheswaran said.

Maheswaran and Pensabene have had their ALP memberships suspended. Maheswaran has also been accused of hiring private investigators to follow Blackmore, which he has not denied. A close associate of Blackmore's, with knowledge of the matters, said Maheswaran's claims were a fabrication.

It appears that the battle between Maheswaran and Blackmore has been ongoing for some time, with both men engaging in allegations of wrongdoing against each other. The ICAC inquiry will aim to get to the bottom of these allegations and determine the truth.