NDIS rort accused has ties to ‘daycare fraud’

A man accused of stealing $480,000 from the NDIS has ties to a company sanctioned for obtaining daycare payments “by fraud”.

Mohamed Osmar Omar with his lawyer Giselle Nehma outside Melbourne Magistrates Court last Friday. Picture: Tessa Akerman

A man accused of stealing more than $480,000 from the National Disability Insurance Scheme has links with a company that had its family daycare taxpayer subsidies cut off last year for obtaining payments “by fraud”, according to a government register.

Mohamed Osman Omar, 36, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court last week for a hearing after he was arrested by members from an NDIS Fraud Taskforce for allegedly taking money from more than 200 scheme participants.

Mr Omar, from Parkville in Melbourne’s inner north, was the director of Langmann Care Pty Ltd until October 1 and it is through this company he is charged with defrauding the $22 billion NDIS, which gives taxpayer money to disabled people who can then pay support workers and other services for help.

He was also a director of Langmann Pty Ltd until January 1, 2015.

This company operated a family daycare centre that the federal Department of Education listed as cancelled in September last year for providing “false statement or document, payment of fee reductions obtained by fraud (and) obligation to give reports to the secretary.”

The service also had its taxpayer subsidies shut off because it enrolled more children than is ­allowed under the legislation, ­according to the enforcement register on the federal department’s website.

Mr Omar’s period as a director of Langmann Pty Ltd — which controlled the family daycare service when its commonwealth funding was cancelled — was wound back more than three years, according to forms lodged with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission.

On May 16 this year, Mr Omar submitted a “notification by office-holder of resignation or retirement” to ASIC indicating that he would cease being a director and secretary of the company, effective from almost 3½ years earlier.

A few months later, however, he submitted a form — which itself was dated just six days before he removed himself as a director — appointing a Sudanese-born man, Tong Yai, as director and secretary of Langmann Pty Ltd.

This appointment was also backdated by almost 3½ years, with Mr Yai appointed to the role on January 1, 2015, the same date Mr Omar elected as his last in the role.

Mr Omar’s personal extract on ASIC lists him as a current shareholder of the company, although the company extract notes the only shareholder is Mr Yai.

Authorities including the Australian Federal Police and the National Disability Insurance Agency seized a BMW 7-Series limousine and a Toyota Hi-Lux when it raided Mr Omar’s Parkville address earlier this month.

The Langmann Pty Ltd company lists BMW Australia Fin­ance Ltd as a creditor.

Prosecutors requested more time to deal with Mr Omar’s case before the court last week.

Mr Omar is also charged with attempting to obtain a further $142,000 in taxpayers’ money from the NDIA and dealing with the proceeds of crime.