Former NSW Liberal powerbroker at heart of Icac allegations now living in UK and not expected to appear

The Independent Commission Against Corruption is examining some donations to the New South Wales Liberal party. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP View image in fullscreen The Independent Commission Against Corruption is examining some donations to the New South Wales Liberal party. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP Former NSW Liberal powerbroker at heart of Icac allegations now living in UK and not expected to appear Christian Ellis, a former registered lobbyist, is named in two Independent Commission Against Corruption allegations Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A key figure at the centre of an anti-corruption inquiry involving the New South Wales Liberal party has moved to the UK and is not expected to give evidence during eight weeks of public hearings. The Independent Commission Against Corruption will start its Operation Rosny hearings on Monday. The first witness will be a hotelier, Michael O’Hara, followed later in the week by a former Liberal staffer, Dylan Whitelaw, and a consultant, Robert Assaf. O’Hara and Assaf are among 10 individuals Icac has said it is investigating. Whitelaw is not named in the Icac allegations. Christian Ellis, a former registered lobbyist and Liberal powerbroker who once received a glowing endorsement from the federal opposition leader, Angus Taylor, is named in two Icac allegations but is not expected to appear. A 2023 parliamentary inquiry preceded Icac’s current examination of “possible offences under the Electoral Funding Act”. Since that parliamentary inquiry, Ellis has moved to the UK, Guardian Australia can reveal. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email Icac is investigating several allegations, firstly that Liberal figures, including Ellis and Assaf, “solicited or accepted” donations, including from prohibited donors, in amounts which were undeclared or exceeded caps, to recruit or renew members to the party – a practice known as “branch stacking”. skip past newsletter promotion after newsletter promotion Alleged illegal donations by Catholic Schools NSW to Liberals raise questions over use of taxpayer funds Read more The corruption watchdog is examining a second allegation that between 2020 and 2023, the fugitive property developer Jean Nassif and his company, Toplace, made prohibited donations solicited or accepted by Liberals, including Ellis, “in exchange for the pursuit of outcomes sought by Mr Nassif”. The 2023 parliamentary inquiry was prompted by allegations made in a 2022 speech under parliamentary privilege by the Liberal MP Ray Williams that Nassif had met Ellis and other senior Liberals, who were paid significant funds to arrange for new councillors to be elected to the Hills Shire council. Ellis did not appear at the 2023 inquiry because he could not be served with summons after multiple attempts. The inquiry’s final report recommended that Ellis be called before any future inquiry to give evidence. Ellis, a direc