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Investigator Invoices $134,000 for Mayor Blackmore Surveillance

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 11:59 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Sharangan Maheswaran hired private investigator Shane De Kauwe to surveil mayor Matthew Blackmore.
De Kauwe invoiced Toplace $134,000 for surveillance from November 2022 to January 2023.
Maheswaran said Toplace paid because the work had “tangential” links to founder Jean Nassif.
Maheswaran and Karen Pensabene offered three journalists $1,000 for negative stories.
Mayor Matthew Blackmore resigned early 2023 and Karen Pensabene became Strathfield mayor.

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Story summary

Sharangan Maheswaran hired private investigator Shane De Kauwe to surveil mayor Matthew Blackmore.
De Kauwe invoiced Toplace $134,000 for surveillance from November 2022 to January 2023.
Maheswaran said Toplace paid because the work had “tangential” links to founder Jean Nassif.
Maheswaran and Karen Pensabene offered three journalists $1,000 for negative stories.
Mayor Matthew Blackmore resigned early 2023 and Karen Pensabene became Strathfield mayor.