THE way Ron Medich tells it, he was just a humble - but rich - property developer happy to plough millions of dollars into companies he knew nothing about and who did as he was told by his then friends Lucky Gattellari and restaurant manager Frank Moio.
Mr Medich, 63, was giving evidence yesterday at an ICAC inquiry investigating allegations he and Gattellari, his then business partner, provided a prostitute for the former minister for energy Ian Macdonald as a reward for arranging meetings with state energy executives.
Mr Medich said although he bankrolled a group of electrical contracting companies to the tune of $15 million, he did not have much idea of what they did.
When pushed as to whether he was involved in the ownership of the companies, Mr Medich replied: ''Technically, yes, technically, no.'' Because he knew nothing about the companies, he couldn't have done a sales pitch to energy officials who were dining with the minister, he said.
''I'm experienced in development work, not anything to do with electrical companies.''
Nor did Mr Medich have anything to do with organising for a prostitute to be provided to Mr Macdonald that same night of July 15, 2009.
And although he conceded that he drove Mr Macdonald, who he claimed to barely know, to the Four Seasons hotel for his tryst with Tiffanie and provided the minister with the room key, Mr Medich was adamant that ''I wasn't the one that was supposed to be doing that''.
Mr Medich said he had no role in the selection of Tiffanie, nor did he know whether Mr Macdonald was going to have sexual relations with her. ''I don't know what relations she was going to have,'' he said.
''You get girls that will go out with you and, and if nothing happens you'll get a girl that's a masseuse to give you a happy ending or you'll get girls that go all the way. All right. So I don't even know what was asked by the girl. I didn't handle the thing,'' he said.
After dropping Mr Macdonald at the Four Seasons, Mr Medich then went to his home in Point Piper. Much to his annoyance, Mr Gattellari had insisted on the remaining prostitutes coming to his house as Lucky ''wanted to show them the views'', Mr Medich told the inquiry. Mr Gattellari even tried to foist one of the girls on to him that night. ''So I said to him, well, I don't want any girl,'' Mr Medich said.
The following day, an angry Mrs Macdonald rang the manager of the Tuscany restaurant, Frank Moio, after finding a hotel key in her husband's pocket. Mr Medich said that the phone was thrust to him but that he couldn't remember what lie he had told to fob her off. ''I don't think it was an untruth, I think it was a porky.''
Mr Medich said he could not recall whether he had suggested Mr Macdonald had suffered neck tightness and that he needed the efforts of a masseuse to relieve his neck.
He later agreed with barrister Tim Hale, SC, representing Mr Macdonald, that during the evening the minister mentioned being distressed by the adverse media coverage over previous days. ''He did mention that Sir Lunchalot bizzo,'' Mr Medich said.
Mr Medich said that due to his distress, Mr Macdonald did mention ''he feels like a good massage''. ''Wasn't there some discussion about you would try and arrange a massage for him?'' Mr Hale asked. ''No,'' Mr Medich replied firmly. ''I never arranged any of that stuff.''
Mr Macdonald is expected to give evidence today.
