During a hearing, Peggy Dwyer, SC, presented the complete correspondence between Jean Nassif and a former contractor to the commission, allowing members to hear the exact wording of the messages that have been at the centre of an alleged extortion claim.
According to the material, some of the messages had previously been forwarded by Nassif to Sharangan Maheswaran as purported evidence of an extortion attempt, prompting the commission to open an inquiry into the developer’s conduct.
Dwyer, however, contended that the exchange actually shows the parties discussing the pursuit of overdue payments for work already performed and the organisation of genuine remediation work to address defects in Nassif’s building projects.
The first text from Navid Ardestani to Nassif reads, “Hi, mate. As we spoke today, the purpose of this meeting was to get my mate, the builder, to come and fix the issues that the building commissioner requested to be fixed. He’s a good person for remediation work, specifically in the large in large buildings. Have a good evening and enjoy the wedding. Thank you for seeing us. Best regards, Navid,” indicating a focus on arranging corrective work rather than threatening behaviour.
The pair continued to discuss meeting up for a further discussion, reinforcing Dwyer’s view that the dialogue was centred on logistical and financial matters. The commission now has the full context to reassess whether the earlier allegations of extortion are substantiated or whether the dispute is primarily a payment‑related issue.