NDIS power couple who complained they were unfairly sacked are given brutal reality check after allegedly misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars

By SARAH BROOKES - SENIOR REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 02:04, 8 June 2026 | Updated: 02:04, 8 June 2026 Two senior NDIS managers have lost their unfair dismissal case after they allegedly misused hundreds of thousands of dollars in company funds.  Assure Ability HR/IT manager Tamanna Rahman and operations manager Talat Mahmud, a married couple, were abruptly shown the door last May after being fired for misconduct at a board meeting called by CEO Mohammad Sharier. In a blistering decision, Fair Work Commissioner Adam Walkaden found the company had valid grounds to fire the pair, flatly rejecting claims they had been unfairly targeted. Both were on contracts paying $70,875, an 'unusual' coincidence given Mr Mahmud's senior role, Commissioner Walkaden said.  He noted Ms Rahman was later elevated to HR and IT director after initially providing IT support and designing the company's website through her business Digi Tech Lab. Giving evidence, Mr Sharier accused the couple of widespread fraud, theft and dishonesty within the business, which provides in‑home, respite, community and supported living services to people with disabilities and is based in Hurstville, 16km south of Sydney.  Ms Rahman was accused of selling one of Assure Ability's cars for $2,000 and depositing the proceeds into her personal bank account.  The scrutiny extended to the company's broader operations, which include leasing Sydney properties for supported independent living and specialist disability accommodation.  Married couple Tamanna Rahman (pictured right) and Talat Mahmud (pictured left), were abruptly shown the door last May after being fired for misconduct Just months after her sacking Ms Rahman (pictured) struck a very different tone in a Facebook post, saying she felt 'thankful' to be a foundation member of Forbes Australia Women The Commission heard Mr Mahmud approved almost $190,000 in payments over seven months to maintenance company Grey Wall, owned by his friend SK Rezaul Karim, for handyman work. Mr Mahmud claimed Mr Karim carried out weekend jobs while also working for Assure Ability during the week. But Commissioner Walkaden was unconvinced. 'I am satisfied that the payment of $189,566 in a seven‑month period to a "handyman" that only worked weekends on properties that were leased, and not owned, was either massively inflated and/or that such work was simply not performed,' he said. 'At best, Mr Mahmud was clearly incompetent… at worst, Mr Mahmud was complicit in a scheme.' The commission also heard after Mr Sharier sought greater oversight via a WhatsApp message, the pair, who were on leave, deleted key company data, including invoices, expenditure records and personal information.  When some of that data was later recovered, it included invoices from companies owned by the couple. 'I do not accept Mrs Rahman's explanation,' Commissioner Walkaden said, finding she deleted the data to conceal wrongdoing and 'attempting to hide behind a purported illness or injury'. Before the fallout, Talat Mahmud (pictured) had carved out a career across banking and disability services Claims the pair suffered financial and reputational damage were dismissed outright. 'Any financial and reputational harm… is entirely self‑inflicted,' Commissioner Walkaden said. 'Their conduct was serious and destructive of the trust placed in them. 'Consequently, I am not satisfied that they have been unfairly dismissed.'  The ruling also revealed Mr Mahmud registered a separate business, Ability R Us, which billed Assure Ability about $90,000 over two years, though claims it failed to deliver services could not be substantiated. Similarly, allegations Ms Rahman's firm Digi Tech Lab was paid more than $650,000 while she worked for Assure Ability were not proven, but the Commissioner still found a clear conflict of interest. He also accepted evidence of a $25,000 payment made to Mr Mahmud, described as an 'advance given to director', which was never repaid and not approved by Dr Sharier. The unexplained payment, made without written records, further undermined Mr Mahmud's credibility, Commissioner Walkaden found. Talat Mahmud (pictured) describes himself as a 'global entrepreneur' focused on tackling skilled worker shortages by preparing Bangladeshi talent for overseas roles  Questions were also raised about Mr Mahmud spending months overseas, up to six months during his tenure, but the Commissioner found no evidence this impacted his ability to perform his role remotely. In a twist, Assure Ability had publicly praised Mr Mahmud just months earlier, saying it was 'thrilled' he would step into a director role and describing him as a 'dedicated and accomplished professional'. The couple, who joined the company in 2019 and 2022 respectively, were both sacked on the same day in May 2025. Months later, Ms Rahman struck a very different tone in a Facebook post, saying she felt 'thankful' to be a foundation member of Forbes Australia Women.  'From building Digi Tech Lab, Dreamers Den, and supporting people in the NDIS space - every challenge shaped me, every setback taught me, and every small win pushed me forward.' Her LinkedIn profile lists her current job as CEO and founder of Avion Care and she appears to be actively managing NDIS clients, often requesting services on social media. She has also created a 'smart virtual receptionist' computer program she is spruiking to NDIS providers.  Before the fallout, Mr Mahmud had carved out a career across banking and disability services. He developed Simply Helping Sydney West and spent several years as a mortgage broker. He was also a senior banker at ANZ Banking Group from 2008 to 2015. His LinkedIn profile now describes him as a 'global entrepreneur' focused on tackling skilled worker shortages by preparing Bangladeshi talent for overseas roles through hands‑on training and industry‑based development.  Mr Mahmud said he is 'particularly committed to initiatives that support people with disability'. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. 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