ICAC covert images appear to show RMS bureaucrat with Hassan Alameddine

The ICAC has released images purporting to show ‘dangerous’ men meeting with allegedly corrupt bureaucrats who are accused of handing out millions of dollars in rigged contracts.

Covert cameras were following allegedly corrupt bureaucrat Alexandre Dubois and his “dangerous” mates including at a meeting outside the government department they are accused of rorting for millions of dollars. Meanwhile co-accused RMS manager Craig Steyn was inadvertently creating a paper trail to his own dodgy deals with joke emails, party invites and an attempt to get a birthday cake into a detention centre.

Images released by the Independent Commission Against Corruption appear to show Dubois with construction figure Hassan “Harry” Alameddine at the bottom of the RMS building in December 2018.

Other covert images show the RMS manager and Alameddine alongside Chahid “Hoody” Chahine and Barrak “Baz” Hadid.

The ICAC has released images purporting to show a meeting with allegedly corrupt bureaucrats. Hassan Alameddine is seated in vehicle on Phillip St Parramatta outside the Octagon Building. Alexandre Dubios is seen handing him a piece of white paper.

The ICAC has claimed Dubois was giving the men rigged RMS contracts in exchange for millions of dollars in kickbacks that included boxes of cash and supercars.

The men also appeared in undated pictures cosying up to Craig Steyn.

Steyn confessed on Wednesday to being part of a “network” of corruption within the RMS allegedly under the guidance of Dubois.

Steyn said another contractor asked him, in 2017 or 2018, if he recognised the Alameddine surname.

Alexandre Dubois (light coloured pants) and Hassan Alameddine standing on George Street Parramatta. Picture: ICAC.

The ICAC, who were following the men as part of Operation Paragon, said Alameddine and Dubois formed an unusual friendship at the University of Western Sydney.

Counsel Assisting Caroline Spruce said Alameddine pressured scholarship student Dubois to help him and others cheat using a stolen exam sheet.

Alexandre Dubios holding a pair of work boots, looking inside the rear driver’s door of vehicle parked on Brodie Street, Yagoona. Picture: ICAC

Dubois transferred universities to escape the pressure, Ms Spruce said.

But they stayed friends and worked in security jobs together, the ICAC claims, and Alameddine allegedly approached Dubois in 2011 after he was employed by the RMS.

Alameddine allegedly made “overtures” to Dubois for work and eventually got his way.

Alameddine directed multiple companies, mostly without his own name on the paperwork, to allegedly secure $11m worth of contracts through Dubois.

The ICAC alleged kickbacks flowed from Alameddine’s companies to Dubois’ pockets but many were impossible to trace because they were in cash.

One of the Alameddine companies had $790,000 in cash withdrawals, the ICAC claims, and transferred more than $300,000 to accounts allegedly operated by Dubois in just 18 months.

When authorities swooped, the ICAC said, Alameddine fled to Lebanon. As did another Alameddine associate in the images, Simon Raha, who is now believed to be in a Lebanese prison.

Documents reveal that when ICAC raided the managers, in June 2019, the RMS launched an internal investigation into Steyn.

The RMS documents claim they found multiple emails with titles including “Never go to bed with a Chinese man” and another called “FW: Bit of Laughter”.

They were allegedly sent to Steyn’s email address and RMS contractor AA Steel among others.

AA Steel was operated by Steyn’s cousin Sandra Alexander and her husband, Ashley, the ICAC has heard.

Steyn, on Thursday, was taken through a spreadsheet he drew up and sent to his cousin at AA Steel to keep track of his kickbacks.

AA Steel picked up the tab for a surprise birthday for Steyn’s wife, Aleesha, including almost $1000 worth of drinks alone.

Steyn’s stepmother Zelda was gifted $12,000 by AA Steel, the document shows, and there are thousands of dollars in cash withdrawals.

ICAC’s Counsel Assisting Jason Downing asked Steyn if he sought out the cash from his cousin’s company.

“Not once I ever sought cash, Mrs Alexander would give it to me,” he said.

“She’d come up behind me and stick it in my back pocket or just hand it to me.”

One email from Steyn was sent to Villawood Detention Centre and appears to be related to securing a birthday cake for a detainee named Garith.

“It is Garith & My Mum’s 65th birthday and under the circumstances I would like to try and make the day a little special for her with Garith,” Steyn wrote, according to the RMS investigation.

The ICAC, on Thursday, heard Steyn had a brother named Garith in the immigration detention centre and he had asked his cousin’s company to pitch in $8000 for legal fees.

The RMS’ internal investigation concluded the evidence they’d found substantiated 45 allegations of “fraudulent and inappropriate conduct” against Steyn.

The hearings continue.