The wife of wanted former property developer Jean Nassif has told a court she’s been left in a “financially desperate position” and living on Centrelink.
Nisserine ‘Nissy’ Nassif’s comments emerged in the New South Wales Supreme Court this month after she lost a bid to have her former lawyers’ legal efforts to recoup costs placed on hold.
In the proceeding, Ms Nassif said her husband left her without any assets or income, and she is living with three children while waiting for approval for a Housing Commission property.
“She informed me, in essence, that she has no money; that her husband has left her broke, having to support three children; that she is on Centrelink; and that she has no assets,” Justice Richard Cavanagh said in his judgment to dismiss Ms Nassif’s bid.
“I do not have evidence before me of those matters. However, I will assume the accuracy of what the plaintiff says, that is, that she is in a financially desperate position … It is only necessary to say that none of the matters raised by the plaintiff provide any basis for a stay of these proceedings.”
Ms Nassif, a Sydney socialite, became a social media sensation in 2019 when Mr Nassif gifted her a yellow Lamborghini on Valentine’s Day in a video that went viral.
Her husband has been wanted by NSW Police since June 2023 in connection with alleged fraud-related offences following the collapse of his company and is believed to be in hiding overseas.
The founder of development company Toplace will also be probed in an upcoming New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) inquiry commencing on July 27.
According to ICAC, the investigation, dubbed Operation Rosney, will look into allegations of possible election funding offences by people associated with the NSW Liberal Party, Catholic Schools NSW, Mr Nassif, a hotelier and Strathfield councillors.
Expected to run for eight weeks, ICAC announced the probe earlier this month, naming a number of people including the brother of former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet, Jean-Claude Perrottet.
Among the allegations that will be examined, ICAC said it would investigate whether Mr Nassif and Toplace made political donations between 2020 and 2023, while being prohibited, that were solicited for the recruitment of members of the Liberal Party.
None of the people mentioned are accused of wrongdoing, and ICAC will be investigating the allegations.
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