‘We need a bigger scheme’: The messages of accused fugitive mastermind aired at corruption inquiry

5 hours ago 2

Text messages between the alleged mastermind of a multimillion-dollar kickback scandal and his alleged co-conspirator at Transport for NSW reveal the pair wanted to pursue “a bigger scheme” and pocket more cash payments, an anti-corruption inquiry has heard.

In his third day in the witness box, the now-sacked Transport for NSW official Ibrahim Helmy, 38, was grilled about his dealings with traffic control contractor Direct Traffic, which was awarded contracts worth $48 million in the seven years to June 2025.

Former Transport for NSW official Ibrahim Helmy appears at the ICAC hearing on Friday.

In a text exchange with former TfNSW officer Peter Le on November 8, 2018, Helmy said: “F---ing bunch of useless shits. We need a bigger scheme. One that will make us back everything.”

Le replied: “Yeah that’s good. But we need more. More schemes. That was a lot of work for nothing.”

The ICAC is investigating allegations that Helmy was the mastermind behind corrupt relationships with nine companies that were paid at least $343 million in Transport for NSW contracts in return for kickbacks.

He is accused of receiving $11.5 million in kickbacks – including bundles of cash, gold bullion and cryptocurrency – from the contractors in return for them being awarded work on the state’s roads.

Under questioning from ICAC counsel assisting Rob Ranken, SC, Helmy admitted the scheme he discussed with Le was about arrangements with Direct Traffic’s operations manager Adam Spilsted, whereby Helmy would take a percentage cut of their profits in exchange for assisting them win work on a traffic control panel.

A 2021 spreadsheet made by Helmy shows he received $38,000 in kickbacks over the years from his dealings with Direct Traffic’s inflated work invoices, which came in the form of gift cards, bank transfers, and cash payments. A separate itemised list shows he also expected to be paid more than $714,000 from the company.

On Thursday, the inquiry was shown a photo Helmy took of envelopes containing bundles of cash lying on a bedspread in his home. The amount of money in each envelope was scrawled on the front.

Messages between Helmy and Le shown to the inquiry also highlighted their preference for cash payments and distaste for receiving kickbacks from contractors in the form of $1000 Mastercard gift cards and direct bank transfers.

A photo of the envelopes containing bundles of cash which Ibrahim Helmy sent to his friend Adam Taki in 2015.

Spilsted’s gift card idea was “ridiculous”, according to Le. “I hate it. But if it’s the only means besides cash. Then it’s the next best option. But I hate it,” he wrote.

After learning that gift cards had expiration dates, Helmy agreed with Le, and similarly complained about the “useless” payment method.

Earlier on Friday, the inquiry heard Helmy shared the confidential pricing information of 32 competitor companies with Spilsted in September 2018 so Direct Traffic could adjust the rates on its tender for a better chance to be awarded the work.

However, Helmy denied Ranken’s propositions that he initiated the “improper arrangements”, asserting that Spilsted initiated them.

“He’d been asking a lot of questions, all I’m doing is responding and coming up with solutions for his questions. I was helping him genuinely, whether he gets work out of it was a separate topic,” Helmy told the inquiry.

But he conceded that he “might have provided a bit extra help than I should have”.

Helmy also denied that he advised Direct Traffic to submit fictitious addresses of caravan parks under the guise of legitimate work depots so they would be more likely to win contracts in those regions.

“I have never mentioned anything about caravan parks, at the time I probably didn’t even know what a caravan park was,” Helmy told the inquiry.

“I definitely did not direct him to put multiple [fake] addresses.”

After four months on the run, the US-born Helmy was discovered by detectives hiding in a cupboard in a unit block in Lakemba in south-western Sydney on September 26, and taken into custody, where he remains apart from his appearances at the ICAC inquiry.

Before the public inquiry, ICAC investigators seized gold bullion bars and nuggets and $12,317 in cash from his Merrylands home, as well as a Maserati, $413,000 worth of cryptocurrency held by him, and the equivalent of $8 million in cryptocurrency in a Binance account in the name of his sister.

The public inquiry into the kickbacks is part of an ICAC investigation known as Operation Wyvern, and is the fourth into corruption in procurement processes at Transport for NSW since 2019. Hearings are scheduled to continue until the end of the month.

Helmy is due to reappear on Wednesday.

With Matt O’Sullivan

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.