Fugitive developer Jean Nassif hits out at ‘racist’ Australia
Accused fraudster and fugitive property developer Jean Nassif has denounced Australia in a rabid rant insisting the country is “racist” and revealed he has “zero” interest in returning.
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Accused fraudster and fugitive property developer Jean Nassif has denounced Australia in a rabid rant insisting the country is ”racist” and revealed he has “zero” interest in returning.
The bankrupt Top Place property developer, who fled Australia for a hideaway in the mountains of north Lebanon where he is protected 24/7 by personal bodyguards, said, “forget Australia, it’s over.”
Nassif, 56, who became the object of a police warrant for his arrest when his company collapsed owing more than $1 billion and who has been battling with lawyers to strike a deal to open the way for a comeback, says his “life is good”, – a comment that will undoubtedly anger the 20,000 or so homeowners, tradies and employees he left out of pocket.
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“Why should I come back if police won’t drop the arrest warrant?” he said claiming he was still living outside Beirut.
“Australia is racist, I have zero interest (in coming back) – people want to bring me down. It’s because I’m Lebanese, they want to bring me down.
“I have been trying to come back but I’ve been unwell.
“If police drop the arrest warrant, I’ll think about it. Otherwise, forget it.”
Nassif and his daughter Ashlyn, 30, are alleged to have falsified sales contracts to secure a $150 million Westpac loan relating to Toplace’s Skyview development in Castle Hill, claims they deny.
She was charged in February with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and publishing false misleading material to obtain advantage after allegedly securing the loan with a falsified pre-sale contract in 2021 and is expected at Burwood Local Court on Wednesday (18 September) to contest allegations she falsified official documents to trigger the development loan.
“She (Ashlyn will be OK, she’s got lawyers to help her. I can’t come back for her because of the warrant, I love my children so much but I can’t see them,” Nassif said.
Lebanese born Nassif has been staying in his family village Haref Ardeh, 94kms north-east of Beirut, after spending time in Singapore when his business collapsed.
Top Place, one of Australia’s largest privately owned construction and property development companies, with numerous high-rise apartment projects under construction in Sydney, went into administration in July 2023.
Records supplied to Australian Securities and Investments Commission show an administrator was appointed to Toplace Pty Ltd which toppled owing $1.24 billion, including $88.5 million to suppliers and tradespeople.
The scale of the collapse of Nassif’s Toplace group has been outlined in documents submitted in the Federal Court last year by administrators dVT Group and shows creditors including banks with mortgages over Toplace properties, and foreign lenders in the British Virgin Islands are owed $1 billion.
NSW detectives have been pushing to arrest him on a warrant for financial crimes dating back to 2021.
Nassif has been staying in a stone house that is feverishly protected by body guards.
Despite claiming he has been unwell and suffering depression, he was spotted in April in the VIP section of a casino in Lebanon playing on gaming machines and sharing jokes with four minders.
There is no extradition treaty in Lebanon with Australia, but he has also been seen partying with younger friends at the Dea Del Mare beach bar resort in the ancient coastal city of Byblos where moneyed locals and Lebanese-Australians, blow off steam.
Administrators are selling off assets Nassif has in Australia, including the waterfront home he shared with his wife Nisserine Mattar and their three children, in Sydney’s inner west.
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