Overview
- The schools chief, Dallas McInerney, told the ICAC on Wednesday that he factory‑reset his Catholic Schools NSW phone and iPad over the weekend and surrendered a work phone to his employer.
- Commissioner Fabian Gleeson and counsel assisting told the hearing the wipes risked destroying material evidence and signalled the commission may seek to seize the devices and any recoverable messages.
- Investigators allege up to $265,000 in Catholic Schools NSW funding was paid to two small consultancies, Beckington and JPG Advisory, which the commission says did little or no substantive work for the schools.
- McInerney denies wrongdoing, says the contracts were for legitimate government relations work and claims he wiped devices because of a banking security alert, and he has stood aside while the probe continues.
- The public hearings will move next to explosive claims linked to fugitive developer Jean Nassif and testimony from current and former Liberal staffers, a development that could widen political and legal fallout over the alleged diversion of public education funds.