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The Sydney Morning Herald
· collected 2026-09-17 · by Alexandra Smith, Jessica McSweeney
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is investigating claims that former Strathfield councillor Sharangan Maheswaran distributed a flyer with negative allegations against Matthew Blackmore, who was then mayor of Strathfield. Real estate agent Mohammad Abedin testified that Blackmore did not appear distressed upon seeing the flyer and that he first met Maheswaran around the time his own business collapsed in 2023. The ICAC is examining whether Maheswaran’s actions involved blackmail or breaches of public trust.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In March 2023, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in Sydney heard allegations involving Strathfield's political landscape. Real estate agent Mohammad Abedin testified that when a defamatory flyer was placed on former mayor Matthew Blackmore’s car, Blackmore did not seem particularly upset by it. The flyer contained negative allegations against Blackmore and was allegedly orchestrated by Sharangan Maheswaran, a former Labor councillor and lawyer at the collapsed construction company Toplace. Maheswaran is accused of attempting to pressure Blackmore into resigning so that fellow Labor councillor Karen Pensabene could become mayor. ICAC is examining whether Maheswaran and Pensabene engaged in corrupt practices, including potential blackmail and breaches of surveillance laws.
Written for “ICAC Inquiry Strathfield Mayor” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 14982 · logged 2026-09-17
Homebush real estate agent Mohammad Abedin has claimed the former mayor of Strathfield Matthew Blackmore did not seem particularly distressed after a flyer outlining a host of negative allegations about him was planted on his car.
asserted
flyer → claim → car
The Independent Commission Against Corruption has heard allegations that Sharangan Maheswaran, a former Labor Strathfield councillor and lawyer at collapsed construction company Toplace, was behind the dirt sheet on Blackmore.
asserted
Maheswaran → hear → Blackmore
The “shit sheet” was part of a pressure campaign from Maheswaran to force Blackmore to resign as mayor so fellow Labor councillor Karen Pensabene could take the job, the commission has heard.
uncertain
commission → force → job
The commission is investigating whether Maheswaran and Pensabene “engaged in conduct towards Strathfield Councillor Matthew Blackmore that involves the dishonest or partial exercise of their official functions and/or a breach of public trust, including conduct which could involve blackmail and/or possible breaches of the Surveillance Devices Act 2007”.
uncertain
which → investigate → Act
Abedin, who worked with Blackmore at Inner West Property, told the commission on Thursday that he could not comment on whether the former mayor was distressed to see the flyer on his car.
uncertain
mayor → work → car
“Sorry, you’re saying he didn’t seem upset to you.
asserted
he → say → you
Counsel assisting Juliet Curtin asked Abedin.
asserted
Curtin → assist → Abedin
“Yeah, didn’t seem upset,” Abedin responded.
asserted
Abedin → seem → ?
Abedin was shown the flyer allegedly made by Maheswaran, but he said he did not recall seeing it.
uncertain
he → show → it
Curtin pointed Abedin to evidence he gave in a private hearing in 2023 describing negative “marketing material”.
asserted
he → point → material
Abedin said he saw different material.
asserted
he → say → material
Abedin told the commission he first met Maheswaran at a Homebush cafe with Blackmore but the pair became more friendly around the time Abedin’s business collapsed in 2023.
asserted
business → tell → 2023
Abedin said he was still in contact with Maheswaran, who would sometimes give him free legal advice, the commission heard.
asserted
commission → say → advice
While he remains friendly with Maheswaran, Abedin told the commission that his professional relationship with Blackmore broke down in 2023, about the time Abedin’s company was collapsing.
asserted
company → remain → 2023
The pair had a verbal agreement for Blackmore to buy into Abedin’s Inner West Property business, but that deal fell through.
asserted
deal → have → business
Blackmore paid for renovations to the office when he believed the pair were going to become business partners.
asserted
pair → pay → office
After Abedin’s company collapsed, Blackmore sent an invoice to Abedin to the tune of about $15,000, the commission heard.
asserted
commission → collapse → 15,000
Abedin said he refused to pay Blackmore who he said was “dishonest”.
asserted
he → say → Blackmore
Maheswaran is due to give evidence on Friday.
asserted
Maheswaran → give → Friday
Sydney’s best coverage of the ICAC inquiry
- ‘You like?’ Jean Nassif’s $10m ice deal, zero regrets and one-way ticket out of trouble
-
asserted
You → like → trouble
Liberal apparatchik said he paid Anita Perrottet for invaluable advice
-
asserted
he → say → advice
‘Ridiculous way to run a business’: Liberal operative says no documents kept for $5m deal
-
asserted
documents → run → deal
‘There’s the door’: Retiring Liberal MP blasts party hacks as moderates wane
asserted
moderates → ’ → hacks
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