The ABC can reveal NDIS participants are facing eviction because they trusted companies linked to a suspected fraudster. Disability advocates are angry that the participants were able to keep signing up to companies linked to Khawaja Moeen Haroon, despite him being under criminal investigation.
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00:00Jim had stable public housing for 25 years before he took up an offer from a worker linked
00:08to Khawaja Haroon to move into a private rental in Melbourne.
00:12I thought I need quiet.
00:14I'm at the age where I need a bit of quiet.
00:16But he's now facing eviction because Haroon's network of companies didn't pay rent to
00:21the landlord, even though Jim was paying rent to them.
00:25I have to find somewhere else to go and I have nowhere to go at the moment.
00:28On top of that, the companies were paid more than $100,000 from Jim's NDIS plan, some
00:35of it for services he says he never received.
00:38There are many cases like Jim's, where NDIS participants have moved into homes rented
00:43by Haroon's network while their NDIS packages were allegedly drained.
00:48They often had mental health issues, which two former workers say got worse because they
00:52weren't receiving proper services.
00:55In Trugger Niner, neighbours of one Haroon home say participants were drug-affected while
01:00police were frequent visitors to the house.
01:04Another home was gutted by fire in Tarneit.
01:08While in Werribee, a unit meant for another NDIS participant became a squat, according
01:13to the landlord.
01:15Fires were even lit in the apartment car park.
01:18The ABC understands Khawaja Haroon is at the centre of a major fraud investigation, but
01:24despite it starting in 2023, participants like Jim have still been allowed to sign up
01:30with his associated companies.
01:32It's outrageous.
01:34How is this still allowed to happen?
01:36How is our client able to sign up with providers when there are such serious questions over
01:41their conduct?
01:42This cannot be okay and it cannot be allowed.
01:45Tribunal documents show many people have already been evicted after companies linked to Haroon
01:50stopped paying the rent.
01:51A lot of people have been taken for a ride and they're just running away with all the
01:57money.
01:58Mr Haroon denies all the allegations against him and has committed to cooperating fully
02:02with any official inquiries.
02:04The NDIA and NDIS Commission say they can't comment on active investigations.