Inner West Council and Transport for NSW – allegations concerning conduct of employees and others (Operation Hector)

The ICAC is investigating allegations concerning the conduct of employees of Inner West Council (IWC), Transport for NSW (TfNSW) and others. The allegations are that:

• between 21 July 2015 and 3 October 2020, former Leichhardt Council and IWC employee Tony Nguyen partially and/or dishonestly exercised his official functions by awarding and/or recommending IWC contracts and tenders to companies with which he was associated
• since 1 January 2017, TfNSW officer Benjamin Vardanega has dishonestly and partially exercised his public official functions by using information gained in the course of his official functions to assist certain contractors to tender for TfNSW work, or to tender for subcontracts from entities that have been awarded TfNSW work, to benefit himself and others
• since 1 January 2014, TfNSW officer Nima Abdi has dishonestly and partially exercised his public official functions by using information gained in the course of his official functions to assist contractors, with which he had an undeclared association, to tender for TfNSW work, or to tender for subcontracts from entities that had been awarded TfNSW work, to benefit himself and others
• since 1 January 2017, certain employees of Downer EDI Works Pty Ltd (“Downer”) have dishonestly obtained a benefit for themselves by favouring certain subcontractors when awarding work arising from contracts that TfNSW has awarded to Downer
• since 1 January 2014, TfNSW employee Raja Sanber has obtained a financial benefit for himself, and others, by undertaking contractor or subcontractor work for various entities on TfNSW projects, in circumstances where he failed to disclose his role in those entities to TfNSW
• between 1 July 2019 and 31 March 2020, TfNSW employees, and a Downer employee, dishonestly benefited from the payment or application of public funds for their own private advantage by submitting and approving timesheets and invoices for payment in circumstances where no work was carried out
• between 1 January 2017 and 31 March 2021, a TfNSW employee misused material or information acquired in the course of his public official functions for his own benefit, or for the benefit of Mr Abdi or persons associated with him.

Download the Operation Hector opening statement (pdf)

Download the Operation Hector opening statement slides (pdf)

Download the public inquiry Covid-19 protocol - March 2023 (pdf)

Download the Operation Hector public inquiry media guidelines (pdf)