Key facts
- Ashlyn Nassif pleaded guilty to falsifying documents for a $150 million construction loan from Westpac.
- Her lawyer argued that her father, fugitive property developer Jean Nassif, pressured her into committing the offense.
- The lawyer cited a history of coercive control by Jean Nassif over his daughter.
- Jean Nassif is currently the subject of a two-year fraud investigation by NSW police.
- The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption is also investigating allegations against Jean Nassif.
- Ashlyn Nassif was scheduled for sentencing.
Ashlyn Nassif, daughter of fugitive property developer Jean Nassif, has pleaded guilty to falsifying documents to secure a $150 million construction loan from Westpac. Her lawyer argued in court that she succumbed to pressure from her father, describing a decade of alleged coercive control by Jean Nassif, who also allegedly pressured her to undergo cosmetic surgery. The loan was used to construct three apartment towers in Sydney in 2021. Jean Nassif, 58, fled Australia for Lebanon in 2022 amid a two-year fraud investigation by NSW police. He has denied wrongdoing. The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption is also investigating allegations that Jean Nassif made a $2 million payment to NSW Liberal powerbrokers in breach of electoral funding laws. Ashlyn Nassif's defense disputed the prosecution's argument that she knew the transactions were not at arm's length. She was due to be sentenced.