NDIS Fraud Crackdown: Two Charged in Separate Alleged Schemes
Recent investigations by Australian authorities have led to charges against two individuals in connection with alleged fraud schemes targeting the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Billal Chami, a 31-year-old director of an NDIS provider, faces charges in New South Wales for allegedly laundering $3.6 million. Separately, Kingsley Ebelebe, a 47-year-old employee of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) in Darwin, has been charged in relation to an alleged $5 million fraud.
These arrests are a part of broader national efforts to address fraudulent activity within the critical scheme.
Charges Against NDIS Provider Director
Billal Chami, 31, who served as the director of an NDIS provider, is charged with one count of dealing with money reasonably suspected of being proceeds of an indictable crime, to the value of $1,000,000 or more. The maximum penalty for this offense is four years' imprisonment.
Investigations into Mr. Chami began in February of the previous year, sparked by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) detecting financial anomalies. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) allege that Mr. Chami was involved in laundering $3.6 million in cash.
This significant sum is alleged to have derived from fraudulent claims submitted to the NDIS, including instances where support and services were reportedly not provided to participants.
Authorities further allege that between 2022 and 2025, Mr. Chami repeatedly withdrew substantial amounts of cash from various banks, actions believed to have facilitated the laundering of these funds.
In December, AFP officers executed a search warrant at Mr. Chami's Villawood residence. During the search, $35,000 in cash was seized, along with several air guns and gel blasters.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has since issued a notice indicating its intention to ban Mr. Chami and his provider from participating in the scheme.
Charges Against NDIA Employee
Kingsley Ebelebe, 47, an employee of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and a public servant in Darwin, faces charges in connection with an alleged $5 million fraud against the NDIS. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) Fraud Fusion Taskforce commenced its investigation into Mr. Ebelebe in October 2025.
Mr. Ebelebe is accused of directing NDIS participants to a provider business he co-owned. Since 2019, this business has claimed over $28 million in NDIS funding, with approximately $5 million of these claims identified by authorities as suspicious.
AFP officers executed search warrants at a residence in Lee Point and at businesses in Durack and Yarrawonga within the Darwin region. Documents and electronic devices, including laptops, were seized for further examination.
Mr. Ebelebe faces multiple serious charges, including:
- Obtaining a financial advantage by deception
- Abuse of public office
- Unauthorized use or disclosure of protected agency information
- Two counts of general dishonesty causing a loss
Court Proceedings and Bail Conditions
Mr. Chami appeared before the Sydney Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday. His bail was continued with specific conditions, notably a prohibition on contacting 26 individuals connected to the investigation. He is scheduled to appear in court again on March 24.
Mr. Ebelebe appeared before the Darwin Local Court, where Judge Steven Ledek granted him bail under strict conditions. These conditions mandate surrendering his passport, remaining within the Northern Territory, limiting phone use to one device without encrypted applications, and refraining from communication with clients or engaging in business activities related to the NDIS and TrueLink Community Services. The prosecution anticipates presenting a substantial body of evidence in his case.
Broader Context of NDIS Fraud Crackdown
These recent charges are integral to wider national operations specifically targeting alleged fraud within the NDIS. The AFP has aggressively pursued these efforts, executing 333 search warrants across New South Wales, Western Australia, and South Australia. These operations have resulted in the seizure of a significant 43 terabytes of data by forensic investigators.
AFP Detective Inspector Aidan Milner underscored the commitment to preventing criminal exploitation of Commonwealth payments.
A spokesperson from the NDIA's Fraud Fusion Taskforce and Integrity Capability Division affirmed that abusing access or authority within the NDIA constitutes a serious crime.
Since November 2022, the NDIA has reported disrupting over 2,500 NDIS providers exhibiting patterns of incorrect or non-compliant claims.
Investigations into both matters are ongoing, highlighting the continuous vigilance against NDIS fraud.