Liberal operative and lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood has memory loss in public hearing

Not since disgraced entrepreneur Alan Bond suffered his famous memory loss in the witness box have we seen anything like the amnesia suffered by Jeremy Greenwood.

Greenwood, 37, is a crucial witness at the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s inquiry into dodgy political donations being washed through his lobbying company.

In an avalanche of “I don’t recalls” and “I don’t knows”, the potential catastrophe of Greenwood’s profound memory lapse finally engulfed The Great Deflector at the end of his third day in the witness box.

Greenwood was reminded that last year, on June 23 and 24, he was grilled at a private hearing where he was warned that it was a criminal offence to discuss his evidence or even disclose that he had given evidence.

Counsel assisting, Dr Peggy Dwyer, SC, put to him that it would be “a pretty bad look … if you run out from your private inquiry” and then meet one of the key people to the inquiry despite being warned not to.

“Did you do that?” she asked.

“I can’t remember. I said those were some of the worst days, so I can’t recall,” he replied.

Dwyer again pressed Greenwood about whether he had met a key person after giving evidence at the secret hearing.

“My evidence is that I don’t recall what I did that day, or who I spoke to, or what I spoke about,” he replied truculently.

Pushed again whether he recalled breaching the direction given by the commissioner, Greenwood replied curtly, “I’ve said about 15 times, I don’t know.”

“Play the tape,” came the call from the cheap seats after Dwyer called for a five-minute break.

Returning to the witness box, Greenwood was informed that on the afternoon of June 24 he met Jean-Claude Perrottet at the Royal Oak at Double Bay. The two men put their phones on another table a couple of metres away.

Greenwood and his then-business partner Christian Ellis are accused of issuing “sham” invoices to Dallas McInerney, then-chief executive of Catholic Schools NSW, for lobbying work when Catholic Schools’ money was being used to fund the branch-stacking activities of a group of young ideologues, including Jean-Claude, brother of then-premier Dominic Perrottet.

Such profound memory failure has not been seen since back in May 1994, when Bond, a bankrupt businessman who would soon be in jail, was being questioned about offshore accounts he may have used to squirrel away $50 million from his bankruptcy trustee.

“I don’t have any recollection. This doesn’t ring any bells,” Bond said repeatedly.

This week, Greenwood’s memory lapses have been as embarrassing as they have been frequent.

Even when shown his own text messages to “refresh” his memory, Greenwood deflected: “I don’t recall my mindset at the time.”

One particular exchange he was taken to was via WhatsApp on January 12, 2023. Greenwood wrote to Jean-Claude:

“Hey, so you know how I’m good to you and help you and give you all your filthy schools money … and put up with your f—ing whining?”

Jean-Claude wrote back: “Don’t put that in writing.”

Greenwood replied: “It deletes.”

There was a ripple of mirth in the commission when Dwyer, replied: “But it doesn’t, Mr Greenwood, does it?”

“You knew it was, in your words, ‘filthy schools’ money’ because that was a dodgy arrangement where you were passing on money from Catholic Schools that was intended to fund his [Jean-Claude’s] recruitment work for the Liberal party. Correct?” Dwyer suggested.

Greenwood replied it was just a “stupid joke”.

Assistant Commissioner Fabian Gleeson, SC, piped up, asking Greenwood to explain the joke.

The former Supreme Court judge went on: “I am just having trouble understanding what your descriptor ‘filthy schools’ money’ means, other than what the words convey to any ordinary person.”

“It was just a stupid joke where I am trying to rile him up about something,” Greenwood reiterated.

But the last laugh was on Greenwood, who has been communicating regularly, including that very morning, with his former business partner Ellis, who has moved to England and has said he cannot assist the inquiry.

“If Mr Ellis is listening, the commission waits for his response,” Gleeson said.

Greenwood will return at a later date to be grilled about Jean Nassif.

Further reading

Here are some of the highlights of our ICAC coverage.

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