Sir Joseph Banks High School principal Rabieh Gharibeh allegedly orchestrated fraud scheme with Ahmed Charchouh’s cleaning company: court documents
Court documents have revealed new details of how a Sydney school principal and his brother-in-law allegedly defrauded the Department of Education of $1.4m.
The Express
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The director of a Sydney cleaning company allegedly received closed to $1.4m for fake maintenance works at two schools before transferring that money to their principal, court documents claim.
Sir Joseph Banks High School principal Rabieh Gharibeh, 37, and his brother-in-law Ahmed Charchouh, 38, were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday following months of investigations into an alleged scheme to defraud the NSW Department of Education.
Police claim Gharibeh orchestrated the scheme while leading two southwest Sydney schools, having allegedly contracted Charchouh’s cleaning company, Masterclass Group Pty Ltd, and instructed him to lodge fake invoices for maintenance works.
Documents tendered to Bankstown Local Court reveal police allege that between September 2022 and January 2023, Gharibeh “knowingly caused” Masterclass Group Pty Ltd to submit false invoices for works at Granville South Creative and Performing Arts High School, where he was the principal.
Charchouh allegedly received a total of $398,904 as a result.
Police also allege that between April 2023 and October this year, while principal of Sir Joseph Banks High School in Revesby, Gharibeh instructed Charchouh, through his cleaning business, to submit more false invoices, totalling $994,070.
The documents allege Charchouh “corruptly” transferred the money he received to a bank account associated with Gharibeh.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Detective Superintendent Gordon Arbinja said, as a school principal, Gharibeh had “financial delegation” of up to $150,000.
He said investigators would allege Gharibeh “abused” that power to submit numerous fake invoices within that threshold.
“(Police will allege) the invoices were either split so they could get under a certain financial delegation for $150,000, or they would raise purchase orders before the works were even done,” the commander of the NSW Police financial crimes squad told reporters.
“Backdated invoices were sometimes paid prior to the works. Some invoices were submitted and no works were ever done.”
Det Supt Arbinja said of the minimal works that were completed, the pair allegedly submitted invoices at highly inflated prices.
The pair are also accused of attempting to further defraud the Department of Education of $165,000 on November 4.
However, Det Supt Arbinja said police had been made aware of this alleged attempted fraud and believed they had prevented the money from being paid out late on Tuesday.
Police claim that of the $1.4m allegedly defrauded, Gharibeh pocketed about $900,000 and Charchouh roughly $500,000.
Police said investigations under Strike Force Heidi were ongoing.
Charchouh was refused bail on Wednesday while Gharibeh did not apply for release.
They are yet to enter pleas 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.
Both men have been remanded in custody until their next court appearance on December 12.
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