Kickback accused denies grudge in bribe back pay claim

A month before his home was raided, a former transportation official accused of running a multimillion-dollar kickback scheme demanded a “refund” from the contractor for an allegedly improper deal.

Ibrahim Helmy claims he is owed hundreds of thousands of dollars after giving Direct Traffic “a little extra help” to secure lucrative contracts on NSW road projects.

But he denied holding a “grudge” against the company because Mr Helmy had started losing business to other favorite contractors.

Mr Helmy is giving evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s fourth investigation into procurement processes at Transport for NSW since 2019.

He was in hiding when public hearings began in July, but was arrested in September and detained to testify.

Counsel assisting Rob Ranken SC argued on Thursday that Mr Helmy was “very conscious” that Direct Traffic might perceive the loss of business as a negative action to end an improper arrangement between the pair.

But Mr Helmy told the inquiry his instruction to “fuck them”, like many other messages sent to former colleague Peter Le, should not be taken seriously.

“You told him not to give the work orders to Direct Traffic, but to give them to someone else,” Mr. Ranken said.

“These messages show that you hold a grudge against Direct Traffic because they are not prepared to pay you.”

Mr. Helmy did not accept this.

“The way Peter and I communicate – you’ve seen how it is – it’s not something to be taken seriously,” he said.

He said he held no grudges against Direct Traffic’s manager and operations manager at a meeting in August 2024.

More than three years had passed since he showed company officials a spreadsheet claiming they owed him hundreds of thousands of dollars.

At the meeting, which took place in September 2024 at Mr Helmy’s home and office, shortly before the search warrants were put into effect, views were exchanged on whether to continue the previous arrangement.

Mr. Rankin said he kept in mind that Mr. Helmy should receive payment if there was an ongoing arrangement.

“I don’t think I had anything in mind,” said Mr. Helmy.

“I just said ‘I need to take into account or look at what was given before’ and then let it go.”

“So you’re saying you want a refund,” a Direct Traffic executive is seen saying in recordings of the meeting.

“Yes, you can say that,” Mr. Helmy replied.

Mr. Ranken took advantage of the recording, which was played over and over again at Thursday’s hearing, and suggested Mr. Helmy had admitted he wanted repayment.

“No, but it wasn’t actually… I had no idea how it was going to happen,” Mr Helmy told the inquest.

“He said it was a refund, and I said, ‘yes, you can think of it that way’.”

More than $343 million in work awards were awarded to multiple contractors as part of the alleged scheme, and Mr. Helmy was accused of receiving more than $11.5 million.

He has not been charged but is being held in custody to testify before the investigation.