Nguyen said SDL Project Solutions’ director Seng Du Laphai had delivered cash to him “in a gift bag” on at least two occasions in “various places”.

“I recall Seng just giving me a gift bag. I can recall one instance at a place in Marrickville, close to a park, which annoyed me because it was inside the [Inner West local government area],” Nguyen said.

Nguyen remembered the second occasion because he believed Laphai “shortchanged me”, and had given him $12,000 or $13,000 for one payment, rather than the expected amount of $15,000.

“I remember calling him and saying I’ve been shortchanged, but it doesn’t matter, don’t worry about it. Just remember for next time.”

Nguyen said he had stored the wads of cash in a box at home. He admitted he later used some to pay people associated with transport projects.

That included giving a $24,000 “finder’s fee” to a Transport for NSW employee linked to a project at Macdonaldtown train station. Nguyen also “took a bundle to pay a Downer employee” about $8000.

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The inquiry has heard that, to ensure the companies with which he was associated won the projects, Nguyen had often created “dummy bids” by drafting quotes on behalf of both the contractor he intended to have approved, and for other contractors with prices above those of his chosen supplier.

Nguyen said on Tuesday he had told SDL Project Solutions to “put in a few bids” for council projects early on, so he could tell council staff “they priced this job, so they didn’t come out of nowhere”.

Laphai is due to give evidence later this week.

The ICAC inquiry is also examining allegations arising from procurement processes for two multimillion-dollar Transport for NSW schemes, and which used Downer as the principal contractor.

The inquiry heard that Nguyen, mostly while he was a council employee, had joined with others to tender for, and often deliver, civil, building and landscaping works at train stations through three separate companies to which he had links. The companies – ASN Contractors, Sanber Group and RJS Infrastructure Group – were paid more than $10 million in public money for the projects between 2014 and 2020.

It’s alleged each of the three companies had benefited from “improper assistance” from Transport for NSW bureaucrats and two Downer employees to help boost the competitiveness of their tenders.

The inquiry continues in front of Chief Commissioner John Hatzistergos.

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