The commission found Nguyen had engaged in “elaborate collusive tendering schemes with multiple Inner West Council subcontractors,with which he had an undeclared association,to influence the awarding of council contracts”.
“The schemes included dummy bidding,collusive tendering and order splitting … Although there were measures in place to manage procurement and other risks,Mr Nguyen admitted that he ignored them,” the ICAC said.
The inquiry was told the projects included upgrades to parks,as well as council and community buildings.
The ICAC said the council,which was created from the amalgamation of the former Leichhardt,Ashfield and Marrickville local government areas in 2016,was at the time “chaotic and uncertain”.
“This contributed to Mr Nguyen being able to engage in his schemes,which involved the awarding of Inner West Council contracts to companies that were owned by his friends. By the time Mr Nguyen resigned from Inner West Council in October 2020,his involvement had helped some businesses benefit from up to $1.4 million worth of contracts,” the commission said.
The inquiry heard that before he started at the council,Nguyen had worked as a site engineer at the Glenfield Junction Alliance,which was a joint project of Transport for NSW and various companies.
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He met Transport for NSW employees Nima Abdi and Raja Sanber and “commenced his corrupt schemes,starting with the Glenfield Transport Interchange multistorey car park rectification work in 2014”.
The ICAC found Abdi,who was the project manager,had “manipulated” the tender process to ensure the contract for the project was awarded to ASN Contractors Pty Ltd – a company owned by Abdi,Nguyen and Sanber.
“While employed at Inner West Council,Mr Nguyen was also conducting business with his Transport for NSW associates,including being in a silent partnership along with Mr Abdi in Mr Sanber’s company,Sanber Group Pty Ltd,which was awarded Inner West Council contracts by Mr Nguyen.”
The commission made corruption findings against Nguyen’s friend and business owner Monty Nguy,and business owner Seng Du Laphai in relation to the Inner West Council contracts.
It also found Abdi,Sanber,Transport for NSW project manager George Panagakis,Downer employees Abdal Aziz and Sairam Pilli,Aidan Cox of company Marble Arch,and Sydney Trains employee Benjamin Vardanega engaged in corrupt conduct.
A Transport for NSW spokesman said the agency took allegations of corrupt conduct “very seriously”,and it had taken “various steps to mitigate the fraud and corruption risks identified”.
“The contracts and services of the Transport for NSW officers identified were terminated prior to the start of the public hearing.”