The daughter of a fugitive property developer remains negotiating with criminal prosecutors despite months of assurances a fraud case against her would swiftly resolve.
Ashlyn Nassif, daughter of Jean Nassif, has been accused of falsifying documents to trigger a $150 million loan from Westpac for the construction of three apartment towers in northwest Sydney.
Her defence team has been in negotiations with prosecutors for months over a possible plea deal.
The 32-year-old, who is a trained lawyer, appeared before Burwood Local Court on Wednesday where the case was yet again adjourned for three weeks.
Her solicitor Abdul Tlais said negotiations were ongoing and that critical documents had been requested from police and prosecutors.
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Nassif was seen in the court’s public gallery flipping through Instagram videos before her matter was called up.
She did not divulge to reporters outside court whether she would be pleading guilty.
Her case has been numerous times before Burwood Local Court where the presiding judge heard it was close to completion.
In November, her lawyer told the court the case would be finalised over the coming month.
That did not transpire, and the case returned to court in December and again in January.
In March, her lawyer said an in-principle agreement had been reached for the matter to be finalised in the Local Court.
She has now been told to enter a plea on May 6.
Prosecutors have accused Nassif of fraud, saying she obtained the Westpac loan through a falsified pre-sale contract for the Skyview Apartments in the Sydney suburb of Castle Hill in 2021.
Her father – who was the head of failed construction firm Toplace – left Australia for Lebanon in 2022 but is being pursued by NSW Police after a two-year fraud investigation.
A warrant has been placed for his arrest and 57 companies linked with Toplace are in administration.
A photograph published by the Daily Telegraph in April 2024 showed him smoking a cigar surrounded by security at a casino in Lebanon.
https://thewest.com.au/news/crime/fraud-case-stalls-against-fugitive-developers-daughter-c-22142990
