Late 2023 messages from Helmy and his former assistant Peter Le revealed efforts to manipulate contractor selection, including attempts to block Direct Traffic from securing work for up to five years and to influence tender panels to favor certain companies.

Le admitted to accepting cash and bonuses from Helmy related to inflating work orders and helping arrange schemes since 2018, though he denied receiving money directly from Helmy.

Le was dismissed from Transport for NSW in February after being involved in the scheme and aiding Helmy's corrupt activities.

An anti-corruption inquiry uncovered that Ibrahim Helmy, a Transport for NSW specialist, was the alleged mastermind behind a multimillion-dollar kickbacks scheme involving at least nine companies and contracts worth over $343 million.

Helmy expressed disdain for the family business, Direct Traffic, dismissively referring to it in messages and attempting to exclude it from tenders despite it being the lowest-cost bidder.

Le acknowledged that denying companies access to tender panels could severely harm their business for up to five years, a realization he shared during the inquiry.

Helmy, 38, is accused of pocketing around $11.5 million in cash, gold, and cryptocurrency over 15 years through corrupt relationships with contractors, and has been on the run since failing to appear before ICAC in May.

Messages showed Helmy's efforts to persuade contractor Adam Spilsted of Direct Traffic to accept terms that would increase their work from Transport for NSW, after previous attempts to cut ties.

Le admitted to assisting Helmy's scheme from 2018, starting in 2019, and confirmed Helmy's intent to hide his influence by bypassing standard procedures and line managers.