Key ICAC witness put the rubbish out on a Sunday night. He hasn't been seen since
Ranken said it was alleged that Helmy, 38, engaged in a wide range of corrupt practices in exchange for benefits, which included ensuring Protection Barriers was the preferred contractor and approving the payment of falsely inflated invoices.
He said the ICAC anticipated that there would be evidence that Helmy was assisted in his arrangement with Protection Barriers by two other Transport for NSW associates – Mukeshkumar Patel and David Liu – who allegedly received financial benefits.
Last September, officers from ICAC, the NSW Police and NSW Crime Commission conducted raids on properties around the state. Items seized from Helmy's home included nine 100-gram gold bullion bars, five one-ounce gold bullion bars, three red bags containing 20 one-ounce gold bullion nuggets and $12,317 in cash.
Ranken said evidence would show that the gold bullion seized from Helmy's home were consistent in appearance with gold bullion nuggets Chellew allegedly provided to him in 2023.
In addition, the NSW Crime Commission seized $413,000 worth of cryptocurrency held by Helmy and the equivalent of $8 million in cryptocurrency in a Binance account in the name of his sister. It also seized a Maserati he purchased.
The Crime Commission also seized property and assets from Chellew and his wife Meshel and their related entities worth more than $41 million, including $735,000 in cryptocurrency, a 2023 Lexus car worth about $160,000 and two 2024 Bentleys each worth about $500,000.
In addition, they also seized multiple properties owned by the Chellews in NSW and Queensland worth $15 million.
Under questioning at the first day of a public inquiry on Monday, Jason Chellew said he was asked by Helmy in about April or May 2020 to come to see him about getting more work, and the Transport for NSW staffer proposed 'jobs for kickbacks'.
On the first occasion they met at a McDonald's in Pennant Hills in 2020 whereby Chellew said he would have brought along cash but could not recall to the inquiry the amount.
Chellew said the amounts he handed to Helmy started as $10,000 or $20,000 in cash before the amount of work from Transport for NSW 'got crazy' during the COVID pandemic.
He told the inquiry that, under the proposed arrangement from Helmy, the inflated rates on top of the work would be split 50:50 between them. Early on, Chellew said his concern was that if his company said 'no' to Helmy's proposal, they would not receive contracts.
Chellew said he started cryptocurrency payments to Helmy from about 2021, and there was an occasion when he provided gold in 2023, adding that he often struggled to keep up the payments to Helmy because of the amount of work.
The public inquiry, which is being presided over by ICAC chief commissioner John Hatzistergos, is part of an ICAC investigation known as Operation Wyvern. The hearings are expected to run for six weeks.
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The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Give me 50 bucks an hour off the top': Newcastle engineer in alleged corruption web
A FORMER Transport for NSW engineer based in Newcastle is suspected of pocketing more than $100,000 in "kickbacks" and becoming entangled in a web of corruption with his colleague, Ibrahim Helmy, at the centre. The alleged rigging and inflation of contracts by Transport for NSW procurement officer Mr Helmy, who is in hiding, between 2012 and 2024 has come under the microscope of the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). ICAC is investigating allegations Mr Helmy was involved in corrupt relationships with companies that were paid at least $343 million in contracts. A public inquiry started on Monday. Former Newcastle-based senior projects engineer David Liu has been dragged into the proceedings, with counsel assisting Rob Ranken, SC, detailing how he allegedly helped Mr Helmy submit inflated work orders and had a corrupt arrangement of his own. Investigations led to raids in September on the head office of Protection Barriers, one of the state's biggest roadworks companies. Founder Jason Chellew gave evidence at the inquiry on July 14. At one stage, Mr Chellew said he had a direct arrangement with Mr Liu regarding a truck hire arrangement. Mr Chellew told the inquiry he supplied a truck and an operator on an hourly basis, charging Transport for NSW $200 an hour, but $50 of that was a "kickback" for Mr Liu. Mr Chellew said he was not "100 per cent sure" how the arrangement "really got going" but that he recalled Mr Liu suggesting he could keep the truck in work when it would otherwise have run out, but "give me 50 bucks an hour off the top". Mr Chellew gave evidence that he communicated with Mr Liu on Whatsapp and had met him at locations across the Hunter region, including a Taree Caltex, Beresfield Bunnings and a storage facility at Tomago, to hand over cash. He said he had not reported Mr Liu to Transport for NSW about the arrangement Mr Liu had allegedly suggested. Mr Ranken, SC, said in his opening address that he expected the evidence to show that Mr Liu received between $100,000 and $150,000 from Mr Chellew as part of the hire truck arrangement. He said Mr Liu worked for Transport for NSW between 2008 and 2025, when he resigned after the discovery of his suspected corrupt conduct. Mr Helmy, who was terminated by the agency in February, is suspected to have received more than $11.5 million from the alleged scheme, which involved contracts worth more than $343 million. He is wanted by police and is believed to be in hiding after a failed attempt to leave Australia on a US passport in September. The principal - but not only - official involved in the ICAC inquiry is Mr Helmy. Mr Chellew told the inquiry on Monday that Mr Helmy "proposed giving us jobs for kickbacks". "I didn't really want to do it, but that's what we did at the time," he said. Under the deal, beginning in 2020, Helmy allocated roadworks contracts to Mr Chellew's company at inflated rates, with the amount "on top" split evenly between them. About a year later, 80 per cent of Protection Barriers' work was coming from Transport for NSW, Mr Chellew said. Protection Barriers secured jobs worth about $100 million over four years, counsel assisting the inquiry Rob Ranken SC said. Mr Chellew said he initially paid cash, but as the work "went crazy", difficulties withdrawing sufficient sums prompted a switch to cryptocurrency. He said he even once brought gold to a Sydney petrol station in 2023 in a bid to "pacify" Helmy. Helmy, who joined Transport for NSW as a graduate in 2010, has been wanted by police since May after failing to appear when summoned. It is alleged Helmy formed corrupt relationships with several other agency contractors and colleagues, including the Newcastle-based Mr Liu. The probe is the fourth public inquiry since 2019 into claims of corruption in procurement at Transport for NSW, which is responsible for a $23 billion annual budget. The inquiry continues on Tuesday and public hearings are expected to run for six weeks. A FORMER Transport for NSW engineer based in Newcastle is suspected of pocketing more than $100,000 in "kickbacks" and becoming entangled in a web of corruption with his colleague, Ibrahim Helmy, at the centre. The alleged rigging and inflation of contracts by Transport for NSW procurement officer Mr Helmy, who is in hiding, between 2012 and 2024 has come under the microscope of the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). ICAC is investigating allegations Mr Helmy was involved in corrupt relationships with companies that were paid at least $343 million in contracts. A public inquiry started on Monday. Former Newcastle-based senior projects engineer David Liu has been dragged into the proceedings, with counsel assisting Rob Ranken, SC, detailing how he allegedly helped Mr Helmy submit inflated work orders and had a corrupt arrangement of his own. Investigations led to raids in September on the head office of Protection Barriers, one of the state's biggest roadworks companies. Founder Jason Chellew gave evidence at the inquiry on July 14. At one stage, Mr Chellew said he had a direct arrangement with Mr Liu regarding a truck hire arrangement. Mr Chellew told the inquiry he supplied a truck and an operator on an hourly basis, charging Transport for NSW $200 an hour, but $50 of that was a "kickback" for Mr Liu. Mr Chellew said he was not "100 per cent sure" how the arrangement "really got going" but that he recalled Mr Liu suggesting he could keep the truck in work when it would otherwise have run out, but "give me 50 bucks an hour off the top". Mr Chellew gave evidence that he communicated with Mr Liu on Whatsapp and had met him at locations across the Hunter region, including a Taree Caltex, Beresfield Bunnings and a storage facility at Tomago, to hand over cash. He said he had not reported Mr Liu to Transport for NSW about the arrangement Mr Liu had allegedly suggested. Mr Ranken, SC, said in his opening address that he expected the evidence to show that Mr Liu received between $100,000 and $150,000 from Mr Chellew as part of the hire truck arrangement. He said Mr Liu worked for Transport for NSW between 2008 and 2025, when he resigned after the discovery of his suspected corrupt conduct. Mr Helmy, who was terminated by the agency in February, is suspected to have received more than $11.5 million from the alleged scheme, which involved contracts worth more than $343 million. He is wanted by police and is believed to be in hiding after a failed attempt to leave Australia on a US passport in September. The principal - but not only - official involved in the ICAC inquiry is Mr Helmy. Mr Chellew told the inquiry on Monday that Mr Helmy "proposed giving us jobs for kickbacks". "I didn't really want to do it, but that's what we did at the time," he said. Under the deal, beginning in 2020, Helmy allocated roadworks contracts to Mr Chellew's company at inflated rates, with the amount "on top" split evenly between them. About a year later, 80 per cent of Protection Barriers' work was coming from Transport for NSW, Mr Chellew said. Protection Barriers secured jobs worth about $100 million over four years, counsel assisting the inquiry Rob Ranken SC said. Mr Chellew said he initially paid cash, but as the work "went crazy", difficulties withdrawing sufficient sums prompted a switch to cryptocurrency. He said he even once brought gold to a Sydney petrol station in 2023 in a bid to "pacify" Helmy. Helmy, who joined Transport for NSW as a graduate in 2010, has been wanted by police since May after failing to appear when summoned. It is alleged Helmy formed corrupt relationships with several other agency contractors and colleagues, including the Newcastle-based Mr Liu. The probe is the fourth public inquiry since 2019 into claims of corruption in procurement at Transport for NSW, which is responsible for a $23 billion annual budget. The inquiry continues on Tuesday and public hearings are expected to run for six weeks. A FORMER Transport for NSW engineer based in Newcastle is suspected of pocketing more than $100,000 in "kickbacks" and becoming entangled in a web of corruption with his colleague, Ibrahim Helmy, at the centre. The alleged rigging and inflation of contracts by Transport for NSW procurement officer Mr Helmy, who is in hiding, between 2012 and 2024 has come under the microscope of the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). ICAC is investigating allegations Mr Helmy was involved in corrupt relationships with companies that were paid at least $343 million in contracts. A public inquiry started on Monday. Former Newcastle-based senior projects engineer David Liu has been dragged into the proceedings, with counsel assisting Rob Ranken, SC, detailing how he allegedly helped Mr Helmy submit inflated work orders and had a corrupt arrangement of his own. Investigations led to raids in September on the head office of Protection Barriers, one of the state's biggest roadworks companies. Founder Jason Chellew gave evidence at the inquiry on July 14. At one stage, Mr Chellew said he had a direct arrangement with Mr Liu regarding a truck hire arrangement. Mr Chellew told the inquiry he supplied a truck and an operator on an hourly basis, charging Transport for NSW $200 an hour, but $50 of that was a "kickback" for Mr Liu. Mr Chellew said he was not "100 per cent sure" how the arrangement "really got going" but that he recalled Mr Liu suggesting he could keep the truck in work when it would otherwise have run out, but "give me 50 bucks an hour off the top". Mr Chellew gave evidence that he communicated with Mr Liu on Whatsapp and had met him at locations across the Hunter region, including a Taree Caltex, Beresfield Bunnings and a storage facility at Tomago, to hand over cash. He said he had not reported Mr Liu to Transport for NSW about the arrangement Mr Liu had allegedly suggested. Mr Ranken, SC, said in his opening address that he expected the evidence to show that Mr Liu received between $100,000 and $150,000 from Mr Chellew as part of the hire truck arrangement. He said Mr Liu worked for Transport for NSW between 2008 and 2025, when he resigned after the discovery of his suspected corrupt conduct. Mr Helmy, who was terminated by the agency in February, is suspected to have received more than $11.5 million from the alleged scheme, which involved contracts worth more than $343 million. He is wanted by police and is believed to be in hiding after a failed attempt to leave Australia on a US passport in September. The principal - but not only - official involved in the ICAC inquiry is Mr Helmy. Mr Chellew told the inquiry on Monday that Mr Helmy "proposed giving us jobs for kickbacks". "I didn't really want to do it, but that's what we did at the time," he said. Under the deal, beginning in 2020, Helmy allocated roadworks contracts to Mr Chellew's company at inflated rates, with the amount "on top" split evenly between them. About a year later, 80 per cent of Protection Barriers' work was coming from Transport for NSW, Mr Chellew said. Protection Barriers secured jobs worth about $100 million over four years, counsel assisting the inquiry Rob Ranken SC said. Mr Chellew said he initially paid cash, but as the work "went crazy", difficulties withdrawing sufficient sums prompted a switch to cryptocurrency. He said he even once brought gold to a Sydney petrol station in 2023 in a bid to "pacify" Helmy. Helmy, who joined Transport for NSW as a graduate in 2010, has been wanted by police since May after failing to appear when summoned. It is alleged Helmy formed corrupt relationships with several other agency contractors and colleagues, including the Newcastle-based Mr Liu. The probe is the fourth public inquiry since 2019 into claims of corruption in procurement at Transport for NSW, which is responsible for a $23 billion annual budget. The inquiry continues on Tuesday and public hearings are expected to run for six weeks. A FORMER Transport for NSW engineer based in Newcastle is suspected of pocketing more than $100,000 in "kickbacks" and becoming entangled in a web of corruption with his colleague, Ibrahim Helmy, at the centre. The alleged rigging and inflation of contracts by Transport for NSW procurement officer Mr Helmy, who is in hiding, between 2012 and 2024 has come under the microscope of the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). ICAC is investigating allegations Mr Helmy was involved in corrupt relationships with companies that were paid at least $343 million in contracts. A public inquiry started on Monday. Former Newcastle-based senior projects engineer David Liu has been dragged into the proceedings, with counsel assisting Rob Ranken, SC, detailing how he allegedly helped Mr Helmy submit inflated work orders and had a corrupt arrangement of his own. Investigations led to raids in September on the head office of Protection Barriers, one of the state's biggest roadworks companies. Founder Jason Chellew gave evidence at the inquiry on July 14. At one stage, Mr Chellew said he had a direct arrangement with Mr Liu regarding a truck hire arrangement. Mr Chellew told the inquiry he supplied a truck and an operator on an hourly basis, charging Transport for NSW $200 an hour, but $50 of that was a "kickback" for Mr Liu. Mr Chellew said he was not "100 per cent sure" how the arrangement "really got going" but that he recalled Mr Liu suggesting he could keep the truck in work when it would otherwise have run out, but "give me 50 bucks an hour off the top". Mr Chellew gave evidence that he communicated with Mr Liu on Whatsapp and had met him at locations across the Hunter region, including a Taree Caltex, Beresfield Bunnings and a storage facility at Tomago, to hand over cash. He said he had not reported Mr Liu to Transport for NSW about the arrangement Mr Liu had allegedly suggested. Mr Ranken, SC, said in his opening address that he expected the evidence to show that Mr Liu received between $100,000 and $150,000 from Mr Chellew as part of the hire truck arrangement. He said Mr Liu worked for Transport for NSW between 2008 and 2025, when he resigned after the discovery of his suspected corrupt conduct. Mr Helmy, who was terminated by the agency in February, is suspected to have received more than $11.5 million from the alleged scheme, which involved contracts worth more than $343 million. He is wanted by police and is believed to be in hiding after a failed attempt to leave Australia on a US passport in September. The principal - but not only - official involved in the ICAC inquiry is Mr Helmy. Mr Chellew told the inquiry on Monday that Mr Helmy "proposed giving us jobs for kickbacks". "I didn't really want to do it, but that's what we did at the time," he said. Under the deal, beginning in 2020, Helmy allocated roadworks contracts to Mr Chellew's company at inflated rates, with the amount "on top" split evenly between them. About a year later, 80 per cent of Protection Barriers' work was coming from Transport for NSW, Mr Chellew said. Protection Barriers secured jobs worth about $100 million over four years, counsel assisting the inquiry Rob Ranken SC said. Mr Chellew said he initially paid cash, but as the work "went crazy", difficulties withdrawing sufficient sums prompted a switch to cryptocurrency. He said he even once brought gold to a Sydney petrol station in 2023 in a bid to "pacify" Helmy. Helmy, who joined Transport for NSW as a graduate in 2010, has been wanted by police since May after failing to appear when summoned. It is alleged Helmy formed corrupt relationships with several other agency contractors and colleagues, including the Newcastle-based Mr Liu. The probe is the fourth public inquiry since 2019 into claims of corruption in procurement at Transport for NSW, which is responsible for a $23 billion annual budget. The inquiry continues on Tuesday and public hearings are expected to run for six weeks.
ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
Whereabouts unknown of Ibrahim Helmy at the centre of ICAC inquiry into transport kickbacks
The alleged mastermind accused of rigging the awarding of $343 million in transport contracts is not expected to testify at a corruption inquiry as authorities don't know his whereabouts. At a hearing in Sydney on Monday, Counsel assisting the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), Rob Ranken, outlined allegations former Transport for NSW (TfNSW) employee Ibrahim Helmy received more than $11.5 million in corrupt rewards and benefits, including cryptocurrency, gold and cash payments. Mr Helmy arranged for four colleagues to ensure businesses he had corrupt relationships with would be awarded contract work valued from $12 million to $99 million, Mr Rankin alleged. Operation Wyvern — the fourth public inquiry into TfNSW since 2019 — has been investigating allegations of corrupt conduct since February last year in the arm responsible for building and maintaining the road network, Mr Ranken said. "In each of the previous investigations, [different] TfNSW officials were found to have manipulated procurements and/or contract management processes for corrupt benefit," he said in his opening statement. "We expect the evidence is likely to establish that also to be the case in this investigation." The corruption watchdog's investigation centres on Mr Helmy, who worked at TfNSW in different roles for 15 years until his employment was terminated in February, but encompasses a network of almost two dozen people. The ICAC has heard Mr Helmy allegedly took a series of corrupt actions to rig the process in which $343,139,770 in work contracts was awarded for roadworks from 2012 to 2025, so that businesses he allegedly had private dealings with would secure work. In exchange, Mr Ranken said the 38-year-old from Merrylands would be paid large sums of cash, cryptocurrency, gold and other valuables worth $11.5 million — some of it allegedly "cleaned" in bank accounts belonging to a friend. The inquiry heard the corruption allegations against Mr Helmy include stacking the panels responsible for awarding contracts for roadworks with people who would help the at least nine businesses that would allegedly pay him kickbacks. He also allegedly helped some of these businesses write their tenders, shared their competitors pricing with them and adjusted the rates in their competitor's submissions. He is also accused of helping the contractors he partnered with inflate their rates to make the scheme more lucrative, for both himself and the contractors. The ICAC said Mr Helmy targeted smaller businesses and allegedly courted their participation. Under the arrangement, counsel assisting said one business was awarded $99 million in work from April 2020 to September 2024. The ICAC also said Mr Helmy's alleged corrupt conduct helped secure work contracts for eight other companies between 2012 and this year. Mr Ranken said directors of some of the companies allegedly involved are expected to give evidence at the hearing. Authorities do not know the exact whereabouts of Mr Helmy, but believe he is still in the state. He was interviewed by the ICAC in September, but his compulsory examination was only part-heard. The inquiry heard that on December 22 last year, the ICAC was alerted he was at Sydney International Airport trying to depart to Shanghai on a US passport in his name, as his Australian passport was at the time held by the ICAC. "A family member has told the commission that Mr Helmy took the rubbish out on a Sunday night and did not return," Mr Ranken told the hearing. "The family has not reported him missing." NSW Police have issued a warrant for Mr Helmy's arrest after allegedly failing to appear before ICAC. Mr Ranken said ICAC officers, working with NSW Crime Commission and NSW Police, searched a number of properties on September 10, 2024. From Mr Helmy's properties, they allegedly seized $12,317 in cash, three red bags containing 20 gold bullion nuggets of 1 ounce, 12 bars of silver each weighing 1 kilogram, three 1 ounce platinum bars, five 1 ounce gold bullion bars and nine 100 gram gold bullion bars. The inquiry heard the Crime Commission also seized $413,000 worth of cryptocurrency held by Mr Helmy and $8 million in cryptocurrency from an account in an associate's name. Counsel assisting told the inquiry four other employees of Transport for NSW allegedly helped Mr Helmy award contracts to businesses with which he had dealings. All four colleagues allegedly received a financial benefit for helping Mr Helmy. At times, Counsel Assisting Mr Ranken had to refer to a chart to help explain the alleged corruption. "It is anticipated evidence will show that TfNSW failed to recognise red flags for corrupt conduct," he told the hearing. "This included an inadequate response to a report from a TfNSW employee alleging improper influence by Mr Helmy, which meant his scheme was not uncovered at that time. "It is of notable concern that the referral to the Commission which ultimately led to this investigation was received from a party external to TfNSW." The hearings are expected to continue for several weeks. No criminal charges have been laid in connection with the matters under investigation.
7NEWS
6 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Ex-MasterChef Australia judge George Calombaris opens up about alcohol struggles and former business woes
Former MasterChef Australia judge and hospitality entrepreneur George Calombaris has spoken of his battle with alcohol addiction after a series of scandals rocked his empire. Appearing on the podcast Ouzo Talk, Calombaris detailed his spiral after his MAdE Establishment group had payroll issues, underpaying staff more than $7 million over a six year period. The celebrity chef and Melbourne personality paid back all the staff's wages and superannuation, including a fine of $200,000. It wasn't the only controversy to snag the disgraced star, in 2017 he was charged with assault following an altercation with a fan at the A-League grand final. The conviction was overturned on appeal and the judge imposed a 12-month good behaviour bond while striking the criminal conviction from his permanent record. Calombaris told the podcast it had been a difficult time. 'It was six months of pain you know, I had to go in and out of court three times, hire one of the best KC's of the time,' he said. It was also around this period that he and fellow MasterChef judges Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan left the Channel 10 show due to contract negotiation breakdowns. Then, when the pandemic hit in 2020, Calombaris found himself at rock bottom. 'After COVID hit, I'm suddenly sitting in Melbourne, which is shut for now two years, sitting with my pyjamas on … looking at my phone going there's no emails, there's nothing to do (and I) start drinking daily,' he said. The 46-year-old told of how around three months in, he got in his car and drove down the road, and was found by his brother 'pissed as a fart'. 'And that was a moment, he really slapped it out of me and went enough is enough.' But, it appears that the setbacks have not dampened the entrepreneurial spirit in Calombaris as he moved his successful venture Gazi from Melbourne to Sydney, where it looks likely to stay. 'Sydney's truly an international city, I've travelled everywhere in the world with my job and Sydney's in the top five cities in the world,' he said. 'I feel that there's this buzz here and I'm a part of this buzz and we've got lots of good plans here.'
