‘You need a garbage bag’: Messages reveal couple joked about dirty money, ICAC hears

A former NSW transport department officer has broken down in tears recounting numerous attempts to return thousands of dollars of cash kickbacks she received from the alleged mastermind of the scandal engulfing the government agency, saying she felt uncomfortable and did not want the “improper money” from her romantic partner.

Katya Wang, a former Transport for NSW program governance and reporting officer, admitted her romantic partner and colleague Ibrahim Helmy gave her $6000 in cash benefits that he received from contractors, which she kept at home in a red envelope.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption heard they began a romantic relationship in 2018, a few months after Wang started working at the government agency, which lasted more than six years until September 2024. She confessed to an ICAC inquiry on Tuesday she had detailed knowledge of his arrangements and assisted on multiple occasions with his schemes.

Wang broke down crying when she told the inquiry on Wednesday she was “uncomfortable each time” Helmy gave her $1000 in cash kickbacks.

The 31-year-old said she made numerous attempts to return the $6000 throughout their relationship, detailing one instance where she snuck the red envelope in Helmy’s bag, which he later found and slid back under her door.

“I didn’t want the cash, I didn’t need money. It was improper money … He just wouldn’t take it back, he just said it’s for you,” she told the inquiry.

“Because I kept trying to give it back, he didn’t give me any more bundles of cash.”

Helmy, 38, is accused of pocketing $11.5 million in kickbacks – including bundles of cash, gold bullion and cryptocurrency – over 15 years from nine contractors in return for them being awarded work.

The ICAC is investigating allegations Helmy was the mastermind behind corrupt relationships with nine companies that were paid at least $343 million in contracts by Transport for NSW. He failed to appear before the ICAC in May and has been on the run from police since.

In 2020, Helmy also offered to use the thousands of dollars he made from kickback schemes to pay part of the down payment for a property after Wang told him she was considering purchasing a villa in the western Sydney suburb of South Wentworthville, which later sold for $615,000.

“Ohh that’s a good chance for u to get it then! Do u need more $$ for a down payment. Let me know, I’ll give you a few $10k’s lol [sic],” Helmy’s message to Wang on September 26, 2020 said.

Wang said she rejected Helmy’s offer, and also turned down other offers he made to buy her luxury Chanel bags – which retail for up to tens of thousands of dollars – saying she “didn’t need those things”.

“My money is my money, and his money is separate,” she said.

The inquiry was also shown WhatsApp messages between the pair where they joked about the “dirty money” Helmy made, which the ICAC counsel assisting Rob Ranken, SC, suggested highlighted Wang’s “flippant” attitude towards the alleged corrupt schemes.

“I’m working hard and making dirty money haha. Be prepared for some more dirty money soon,” Helmy texted Wang in July 2020, and then “You need a garbage bag to keep all the dirty money in”, which Wang replied: “I’ll wash the dirty money so then you’ll have clean money.”

The inquiry also heard the pair had numerous inside jokes between them, with one instance where Helmy teased Wang and said he would use the cash benefits he received from contractors to pay her ten dollars for every second she jogged, to improve her fitness.

“$10/second for running now,” Helmy texted Wang in April 2020.

“Haha did Sash [Saso Gorgovski, director of Complete LineMarking] say yes to the job … Otherwise how can you afford $10/s,” Wang replied.

Wang insisted Helmy was never serious about paying her, and maintained that the messages were just quips between the two.

“I didn’t think about what they meant in the larger scheme of things,” she said.

“It’s a joke, he always meant it as a joke, I never took it seriously.”

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