Former Rebels president and Finks ‘world president’ Ali Hassan Bilal leaving the ACT court in 2022. Photo: Albert McKnight.
The ACT Government is reviewing its dealings with a Canberra labour-hire company with alleged links to outlaw motorcycle gangs.
Safe Hands Group says it’s an expert in delivering both temporary and long-term workforce solutions, specialising in the building, construction, security, cleaning and site maintenance sectors. It claims to offer comprehensive, end-to-end labour hire services for major projects across Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney and Regional NSW.
It operates from Mitchell and is an approved supplier for both the ACT and NSW Governments, but it is alleged that the former president of the Canberra Rebels and so-called Finks ‘world president’, Ali Bilal, 53, of Gunning, is the man behind the company and previous iterations, using dummy directors.
At one point, Mr Bilal changed his name by deed poll to ‘Tony Soprano’.
Concerns about Safe Hands Group’s alleged connection to outlaw motorcycle gangs were reported in a Sydney news outlet, and a former associate of Mr Bilal has since contacted Region with similar information, saying the ACT was a safe haven for bikies and associated businesses.
An ACT Government spokesperson confirmed that the government is reviewing current and past engagements involving Safe Hands Group, stating that the allegations are serious and concerning.
“While Safe Hands Group is not directly contracted for any major ACT Government projects, and only a small number of staff were engaged through a subcontractor on one project, we will ensure all relevant procurement standards and expectations continue to be upheld,” the spokesperson said.
Safe Hands Group is licensed as a labour-hire provider through WorkSafe ACT’s Labour Hire Register.
The spokesperson said the government did not have any contracts over $25,000 directly with Safe Hands Group, and it had not been directly contracted for the Light Rail Stage 2A project.
However, a small number of labour hire staff from Safe Hands were on site for the final stages of the Raising London Circuit project.
Their involvement was through contractual arrangements with Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure, the ACT Government’s delivery partner for the project.
At the height of their engagement in 2024, six or seven labourers were provided by Safe Hands via Abergeldie, but now only one was on site.
The ACT Government has checked with all major infrastructure delivery areas, and all delivery partners have confirmed that Safe Hands Group was not engaged on any of these government projects.
Mr Bilal has a recent criminal history.
In 2022, Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker sentenced Bilal to 13 months’ jail, with four to be served as full-time custody for using a carriage service to threaten to cause serious harm, as well as using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence over a series of foul-mouthed and aggressive phone calls to four recipients that police had intercepted.
That was reduced on appeal to three months in jail and an 18-month good behaviour order.
Former Safe Hands 002 Pty Ltd director Branden Jones, bottom left, with Finks members. Photo: Supplied.
The former associate, who fears for their safety if identified, told Region that Safe Hands Group is the successor to Safe Hands 002 Pty Ltd, which went into liquidation last year with no assets after the Tax Office took action to wind it up in pursuit of an $894,000 debt.
Safe Hands 002 was registered in 2020 and ASIC records show it underwent a number of changes in office holders, culminating in Branden Jones as director, who also has links to the Finks. A photo shows Mr Jones in Finks attire with members.
RSM liquidator Jonathon Colbran said in his July 2024 creditors report that Mrs Chloe Bilal and Mr Bilal were former directors who “exerted considerable financial and managerial control over the company until its cessation”.
Safe Hands Group was registered in February 2023, with the director being Jelena Brozinic, a long-time Bilal employee and former office manager of the previous company.
The Tax Office began its wind-up action in March 2024.
Mr Colbran stated in his report that Mr Jones and the former directors had been uncooperative with his investigations. He also noted that the company likely traded while insolvent, did not maintain proper books, and that the director or former directors may have committed offences. Consequently, he would refer the matter to ASIC for further investigation.
ASIC would not comment other than to say it did not confirm, deny or comment on investigations.
Despite his criminal history, Mr Bilal was able to register another company, Hostile Takeovers Pty Ltd, in February this year, under the name Aly Bilal, listing himself as sole director.
The former associate said the Safe Hands Group profited from taxpayers while evading scrutiny and recycling its workforce, brand and internal control under new Australian Business Numbers (ABNs).
“This is not a rogue contractor — this is a publicly legitimised phoenix scheme, backed by the quiet complicity of those who fail to act,” they said.
The former associate said the ACT’s lack of anti-consorting laws made the Canberra region an attractive proposition for Bilal and other bikie affiliates to operate.
“The Finks currently have the largest number here, followed by Hells Angels, then Comancheros,” they said.
The government spokesperson stated that it was unclear what impact anti-consorting laws would have on this particular situation, as it would depend on the specific parameters of the legislation.
But the government, which has previously rejected anti-consorting laws as unnecessary, remained open to considering reforms where clear evidence showed a need.
“We continue to consult with law enforcement and legal stakeholders on the most appropriate response,” the spokesperson said.
ACT Policing, the AFP Association and the Canberra Liberals have all supported the introduction of anti-consorting laws and Shadow Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Community Safety Deborah Morris has called on the government to act.
She said the government’s failure to introduce any anti-consorting laws in the ACT was having an impact.
“Even in just April this year, I moved a motion calling on the ACT Labor government to introduce robust anti-consorting laws, yet their response was akin to ‘nothing to see here’,” Ms Morris said.
“Now we see that outlaw bikie gangs are getting taxpayer money for working on infrastructure projects, with the full knowledge of the ACT Government, while the ACT police are pretty much powerless to do anything.
“I am pretty sure all Canberrans would be outraged to know that outlaw bikie gangs are effectively being sponsored by the government, and that is why I have written to the Ministers seeking answers.”
The former associate said Mr Bilal was also trying to obtain greyhound racing licences in NSW without identifying his links to any bikie club.
Mr Bilal was mentioned in the ACT Supreme Court in April this year when the DPP sought a review of bail for an alleged top bikie on family violence charges.
An ACT Policing detective sergeant, who used to be in the bikie-busting Taskforce Nemesis, told the court the ACT Rebels had “disbanded” and became the “All Brothers Crew” or “Ali Bilal Crew” in late 2022 to early 2023.
All members then eventually “patched over” to the Finks in 2023.
The detective alleged that Ali Bilal had been the president of the Canberra Rebels, but was now believed to be a ‘world president’ of the Finks OMCG.
Mr Bilal has previously denied any ongoing association with outlaw motorcycle gangs.
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