Two Separate NDIS Fraud Cases Lead to Charges in Sydney and Darwin
Case 1: Sydney NDIS Provider Director Charged
Billal Chami, 31, the director of an NDIS provider, has been charged in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud the scheme.
Allegations and Investigation
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) allege that Mr. Chami was involved in laundering $3.6 million in cash. Authorities state this money derived from fraudulent claims submitted to the NDIS, some of which involved claims for support and services that were not provided to participants.
The investigation began in February of the previous year after the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) detected financial anomalies related to Mr. Chami. It is alleged that Mr. Chami withdrew significant amounts of cash from various banks between 2022 and 2025 to facilitate the laundering of these funds.
Search and Charges
In December, police executed a search warrant at Mr. Chami's residence in Villawood, where they reported seizing $35,000 in cash, as well as several air guns and gel blasters.
Mr. Chami faces 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.
His bail was continued in Sydney Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, with conditions including a prohibition on contacting 26 individuals connected to the investigation.
Regulatory Actions
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has issued a notice indicating its intention to ban Mr. Chami and his provider from participating in the scheme.
Broader Context
The AFP stated that this arrest is part of a broader national crackdown that has resulted in 333 search warrants being executed across New South Wales, Western Australia, and South Australia, and the seizure of 43 terabytes of data.
Mr. Chami is scheduled to appear in court again on March 24.
Case 2: Darwin NDIA Employee Charged
Kingsley Ebelebe, 47, an employee of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), has been charged in connection with an alleged $5 million fraud against the NDIS.
Allegations and Investigation
The AFP alleges that Mr. Ebelebe used his position at the NDIA to direct vulnerable NDIS participants to a provider business he co-owned. The AFP Fraud Fusion Taskforce began its investigation in October 2025.
According to the AFP, Mr. Ebelebe's business has claimed over $28 million in NDIS funding since 2019, with approximately $5 million of these claims flagged as suspicious.
Search and Charges
Search warrants were executed at a residence in Lee Point and businesses in Durack and Yarrawonga. Documents and electronic devices were seized.
Mr. Ebelebe appeared before the Darwin Local Court facing 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
Judge Steven Ledek granted Mr. Ebelebe bail under strict conditions, which include:
- Surrendering his passport
- Remaining within the Northern Territory
- Limiting phone use to one device without encrypted applications
- Refraining from communication with clients or engaging in business activities related to the NDIS and TrueLink Community Services
The prosecution indicated a substantial body of evidence is anticipated.
Official Statements and Context
AFP Detective Inspector Aidan Milner stated the commitment to preventing criminal exploitation of Commonwealth payments.
A spokesperson from the NDIA's Fraud Fusion Taskforce and Integrity Capability Division stated that abusing access or authority within the NDIA constitutes a serious crime. The NDIA reported that it has disrupted over 2,500 NDIS providers with patterns of incorrect or non-compliant claims since November 2022.