Rabieh Gharibeh: Former Sir Joseph Banks High School principal suspected of fake graffiti threat after fraud allegations

A high school principal accused of defrauding up to $1.4m from the Department of Education is also suspected of entering the school after hours and graffitiing a fake threat against himself.

Sir Joseph Banks High School principal Rabieh Gharibeh. Picture: Supplied

A high school principal accused of defrauding up to $1.4m from the Department of Education with his brother-in-law is also suspected of allegedly graffitiing a fake threat against himself.

Former Sir Joseph Banks High School principal Rabieh Gharibeh and his co-accused Ahmed Charchouh faced Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday where the pair made a second bid for bail.

Both have pleaded not guilty to more than 60 charges each including dishonestly obtaining financial advantage, attempting to dishonestly obtain financial advantage and directing or participating in a criminal group.

Financial Crime Squad detectives arrested the men over alleged fraud and corruption offences against the NSW Department of Education under Strike Force Heidi. Picture: NSW Police

Following extensive inquiries strike force detective executed three search warrants in Georges Hall, Yagoona, and Revesby. Picture: NSW Police

Police prosecutor David Langton told the court in the lead up to his arrest, Gharibeh accessed the school premises, disabling the security alarms, despite being informed by police of an ongoing investigation into the alleged fraud.

The court heard at some point the words “Kill Mr Gharibeh” had been spray painted onto the school premises, with Gharibeh, who is not charged with graffiti offences, suspected of having spray painted the words himself

Sergeant Langton told the court Gharibeh and Charchouh presented an unacceptably high flight risk and a high risk of reoffending or interfering with witnesses and evidence.

He said police were still searching for an “unaccountable stash of money” that could potentially be accessed by the pair if let out on bail.

Charchouh’s lawyer James Trevallion submitted that his client be placed on strict bail conditions similar to house arrest, including wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet, forfeiting his passport and being prevented from accessing devices that can connect to the internet.

Sir Joseph Banks High School Mr Rabieh Gharibeh (centre) with Wendy Lindsay (left) and Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell MLC (right).

Gharibeh’s lawyer Mohammad Khan, of Lyons Law Group, also submitted similar stringent bail conditions.

Neither Charchouh nor Gharibeh have any previous criminal history, they said, with both having strong community ties.

However Magistrate Shane McAnulty refused both applications saying that there were no possible bail conditions that could mitigate the risk of reoffending “in a world where almost any device can access the internet”.

“These are serious offences on the public purse,” Magistrate McAnulty said.

“It is a systematic defrauding of the public purse. It is not one off.”

Gharibeh is accused of orchestrating the alleged fraud scheme by contracting Charchouh’s cleaning company to lodge duplicated or over-inflated invoices for fake maintenance works at two southwest Sydney schools.

Police allege the money, defrauded over two years, was laundered through three banking accounts – two Commonwealth and one St George – and through gambling machines.

Both Charchouh and Gharibeh will remain in custody until their next court appearance.

Their matters were adjourned to the Parramatta District Court on February 27.