A NSW Government official is on the run after allegedly taking $11.5 million in kickbacks while masterminding a web of corruption involving contractors working on roads across the state.
Ibrahim Helmy, 38, is the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant for failing to appear before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Operation Wyvern public inquiry into an allegation against Transport for NSW (TfNSW) employees, including Helmy, which started on Monday.
NSW Police said Helmy was known to frequent Merrylands and Guildford in Sydney’s west, and described him as “Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, about 175cm tall, of medium build and with black hair”.
The inquiry heard that Helmy worked for TfNSW for 14 years and between 2012 and 2024 allegedly developed corrupt relationships with companies who were paid at least $343 million by TfNSW, and allegedly received more than $11.5 million in cash, cryptocurrency and gold in return.
ICAC Counsel Assisting Rob Ranken SC told the inquiry they anticipated there would be evidence that Helmy was assisted in his alleged corrupt arrangements by other TfNSW employees Peter Le, Mukeshkumar Patel, and David Liu.
Helmy’s ex-girlfriend and TfNSW colleague Katya Wang and Helmy’s younger brother Mohammed were also named as persons of interest to the inquiry.
No criminal charges have been laid against any of the persons named in the inquiry.
The inquiry heard that Helmy attended a compulsory examination in September 2024 after being suspended from his role as Procurement Contract Engineer earlier that month.
He then attempted to leave Australian on a flight to Shanghai in December using a US passport in his name, but was stopped at Sydney Airport, brought before the Commission and released on conditions.
Helmy was due to appear before ICAC on May 12 but failed to appear, and earlier had a request to travel to Egypt to look after his grandmother denied.
A family member told ICAC that Helmy “took the rubbish out on a Sunday night and did not return”, but Mr Ranken noted his family has not reported him missing.
“It is suspected Mr Helmy’s efforts to evade giving evidence before the Commission is in part because he may have received information about matters of interest to the Commission’s inquiries from another person or persons in breach of their non-disclosure obligations, which of itself is a matter of grave concern,” he said.
“While Mr Helmy’s precise whereabouts are presently unknown, we believe he remains in the jurisdiction and that individuals have been collaborating to conceal his whereabouts. We believe he remains in the jurisdiction and that individuals have been collaborating to conceal his whereabouts.”
“Active steps are being taken to locate him so that he may be brought before the Commission and answer questions about the matters under investigation. We expect it is only a matter of time before he is located, and we urge him to come forward of his own volition.”
During the hearing Mr Ranken alleged that Helmy rigged the processes by which contracts for roadworks were awarded, by allegedly stacking tender panels, helping businesses he was in arrangements with write their tenders, sharing competitor pricing information and modifying rival contractors’ submissions.
One company, Grafton-based Protection Barriers, which is owned by husband and wife Jason and Meshel Chellew, was allegedly awarded about $99 million worth of work between April 2020 and September 2024, the hearing was told.
During that period Chellew allegedly paid Helmy $227,000 in cash, $60,000 worth of gold bullion nuggets, and $8.97 million in cryptocurrency.
“It is alleged that in exchange for the benefits he received, Mr Helmy engaged in a wide range of corrupt practices. These included practices common to Mr Helmy’s suspected corrupt arrangements with other contractors,” Mr Ranken told the inquiry in his opening address.
“Namely, increasing Protection Barriers’ pricing as against other contractors to favour Protection Barriers; ensuring Protection Barriers was the preferred contractor; and approving the payment of falsely inflated invoices.”
Jason Chellew said under questioning on Monday that Helmy had suggested “jobs for kickbacks” in April or May 2020, and that he was concerned that if Protection Barriers said no to Helmy they would not receive TfNSW contracts.
The inquiry is expected to run for six weeks.
Header image: Left, right, Ibrahim Helmy (ICAC).
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