October 2nd 2024.
Phone conversations between a daughter and her father, who is a wanted property developer, may not be admissible as evidence in a fraud case against her. This is despite the fact that these conversations were a crucial part of the prosecution's case. Ashlyn Nassif, who is a trained lawyer, argues that these calls should be protected under legal professional privilege, due to their occurrence during an investigation into her father, Jean Nassif.
It was disclosed in court on Wednesday that hundreds of Mr. Nassif's phone calls were intercepted by the NSW Police during an investigation into alleged money laundering at The Star casino in Sydney in 2021. Ms. Nassif was an executive at her father's company, Toplace, which has faced bans from construction work after multiple defects were found in their major apartment projects. She is accused of submitting falsified documents in order to secure a $150 million loan from Westpac for the construction of three apartment towers in Castle Hill, a suburb in north-western Sydney.
At a hearing in Burwood Local Court, Magistrate Christopher Halburd stated that he would allow a senior constable from the NSW Police to be questioned about the intercepted phone calls before Ms. Nassif's case moves forward. He also noted that if the calls were to be admitted as evidence, the prosecution would have a strong case, but without them, their case would be significantly weaker.
The prosecution has argued that the phone calls could fall under different categories, such as discussions between a father and daughter about family matters or business matters between Toplace executives. Halburd stated that he intends to limit the scope of the cross-examination to a narrower range than what was initially requested.
A hearing has been scheduled for November 29 to hear from the senior constable about the intercepted phone calls. Mr. Nassif, who left Australia for Lebanon in 2022, is being pursued by the NSW Police after a two-year fraud investigation. In other news, Israel has threatened retaliation against Iran for launching a major missile attack, and a popular cookie company has responded to backlash and hinted at a possible visit to Australia. Additionally, a new trial is underway to find better outcomes for younger women with breast cancer.
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