Jamal Salameh acquitted in Rami Iskander murder case
The NSW Supreme Court has thrown out a “hospital pass” prosecution against a car dealer accused of helping arrange an underworld execution.
A high-profile gangland murder trial, which police claimed was a revenge killing for another notorious underworld execution, has collapsed with the case being described as “a hospital pass”.
Car dealer Jamal Salameh was acquitted in the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday of being an accessory before the fact to the murder of crime figure Rami Iskander who was gunned down outside his Belmore home in May 2022.
Iskander’s execution was thought by police to be in retaliation for the shooting of then Comanchero heavyweight Tarek Zahed and his brother Omar at an Auburn gym days earlier.
In court, prosecuting lawyers alleged Salameh sourced a blue Hyundai i30, knowing it would be used as the third getaway vehicle by Iskander’s killers.
It was alleged in court that Salameh had a motive to get involved because he was close to the Zaheds and wanted revenge.
But Justice Belinda Rigg dismantled the circumstantial case and found Salameh not guilty on Thursday.
Justice Rigg told the court there was no evidence that Salameh, a car dealer, knew what the Hyundai was to be used for.
She also told the court that Salameh’s profession as a car dealer did not mean he was guilty of the crime.
“Organized criminals see doctors, have their haircuts, need their children taken care of and educated, and buy and hire cars,” Justice Rigg told the court.
“Further, they may obviously, as with anyone else, make contacts through their siblings who are themselves not involved in criminal activity,” she said.
Justice Rigg also told the court that his close relationship with the Zaheds did not mean he was guilty of setting up the murder.
“There is no evidence before the court that the murder of Mr Iskandar was done in retaliation for the shooting of the Zahed brothers”.
In court, Salameh’s barrister Murugan Thangaraj SC told Justice Rigg that his formal applications for the “hospital pass” case to be dropped had been rejected.
The move is now set to be costly with the court being told Salameh will be applying to have the state cover the costs of his legal expenses.
Outside court, Salameh’s solicitor Rick Korn said: “Naturally we’re very happy for our client but remain puzzled as to why it had to come this far.”
“The defects in the police case were obvious from the beginning and we made no secret about what they were,” Mr Korn said.
The court heard Salameh supplied the Hyundai, registered in the name of a man who had never owned it, to Vincent Lambroglou who helped arrange the murder.
Justice Rigg rejected the Crown’s argument that Salameh supplied the vehicle to Lambroglou.
Lambroglou was jailed last year after being found guilty of being an accessory to Iskander’s murder.
In court, Justice Rigg criticised the evidence put forward to link Salameh to Lambroglu, which included a “grainy photo” purporting to be the pair, which was “inadequate”.
Lambroglu was not called as a witness in the case.
Justice Rigg ordered submissions on the costs application be filed in January.
Originally published as Jamal Salameh acquitted in Rami Iskander murder case
