Allegedly corrupt transport official compared himself to Robin Hood, ICAC hears

An allegedly corrupt Transport for NSW official at the centre of a multimillion-dollar kickback scandal compared himself to Robin Hood and told his close friend “you can’t follow rules in this world”, according to text messages shown to an anti-corruption inquiry.

In his first day in the Independent Commission Against Corruption witness box, developer Adam Taki was grilled about his 20-year friendship with now-sacked Transport for NSW official Ibrahim Helmy, which began when they met as engineering undergraduates at the University of Sydney.

In a WhatsApp exchange between the pair on January 18, 2014 and aired at the inquiry on Tuesday, Helmy made reference to his string of alleged kickback schemes with road contractors and said: “everything I do is illegal lol [sic],” and compared himself to Robin Hood for “stealing from the rich”.

“I need to stop. But I can’t lol. Bro u can’t follow rules in this world. Otherwise you’ll be like everyone else. To strive, you gotta do other things,” Helmy told Taki.

The messages are yet to be put to Helmy, who has had 14 days in the witness box but is due to reappear before the inquiry.

The inquiry also heard Taki opened a bank account that same month to prop up an alleged money laundering scheme. In this account, Taki deposited cash kickbacks Helmy pocketed from improper arrangements with contractors, which “cleaned” the money by disguising it as legitimate income Taki paid himself.

Taki told the inquiry they wanted to use the income to purchase a Subway store together, which he described as a “childish plan” that never eventuated.

In response to the proposition from ICAC counsel assisting Rob Ranken, SC, that Taki was “all in” by supporting Helmy and giving him advice on his kickback schemes, Taki responded: “I’m just joking around.”

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

Taki told the inquiry he was aware of Helmy’s improper arrangements with contractors, but was unclear about the details of the schemes, such as which contractors were involved and the extent of their work.

However, he admitted he went to Helmy’s Merrylands home in January 2022, where he watched him count $840,000 worth of cash from a shoebox, organised in bundles of $10,000 and $100,000.

“[Helmy] always liked to show off how much money he had,” he told the inquiry.

The inquiry previously heard Helmy allegedly arranged for contractors to provide discounted concrete to the value of about $73,000 to Taki.

On Tuesday, Taki confirmed to the inquiry Helmy had loaned him about $1.2 million to assist him in financing his construction projects. His construction company AMT Grand Homes also received traffic control services from Lack Group – a contractor Helmy had dealings with – but was never charged for the work.

Asked why he did not have to pay, Taki told the inquiry “Ibrahim said he would take care of it.”

After four months on the run from police, Helmy was discovered by detectives hiding in a cupboard in a unit in south-western Sydney on September 26. He remains in custody apart from his appearances at the ICAC inquiry.

On top of cryptocurrency, the ICAC investigators also seized gold bars and nuggets, and $12,317 in cash at his Merrylands home.

Taki’s Maserati GranTurismo, purchased in January 2023 for a wedding rental car business he set up with Helmy, was also seized.

The public inquiry into the alleged kickbacks is part of an ICAC investigation known as Operation Wyvern. It is the fourth into corruption in procurement processes at Transport for NSW since 2019.

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