Court hears Emad Sleiman lied about dinner party on night bikie was killed

Emad Sleiman served time for murder and survived a hit on his life. But his latest brush with the law boils down to something less dramatic — a dinner reservation.

He has done time in the country’s harshest prison for murder and survived a hit on his life.

But crime figure Emad Sleiman’s latest brush with the law last week boils down to something less dramatic — a table for 10 at Italian restaurant Crinitis on the day bikie associate Kemel “Blackie” Barakat was killed.

Masked intruders snuck into Barakat’s Mortlake apartment and opened fire on the 29-year-old in bed.

Kemel ‘Blackie’ was shot dead in a suspected revenge killing. Picture: Instagram

Barakat’s body being removed from his building. Picture: Bill Hearne

Barakat and slain gangster Mejid Hamzy, 44, were both key suspects in the earlier gangland shooting of crime figure Hamad Assaad.

That sparked suspicion Barakat was the victim of a revenge killing. But only one person has been convicted in connection to his death — handyman Ahmed Jaghbir, 31, sentenced to a maximum 6½ years jail for accessory to murder for handing the key to Barakat’s apartment to his killers.

Sleiman was identified during Jaghbir’s trial as a person of interest in the Barakat murder investigation. He fronted Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to giving false or misleading evidence to the NSW Crime Commission during two hearings. He pleaded guilty to three charges and several others were withdrawn.

The NSW Crime Commission is often used in homicide investigations to compel witnesses or suspects to answer questions in Star Chamber-style hearings.

Emad Sleiman leaving Downing Centre court on Thursday.

While the coercive hearing traversed what Sleiman did or didn’t know about Barakat’s murder, the agreed statement of facts tendered in court revealed only his lies about dinner, his job and his circle of mates.

On March 10, 2017, hours after Barakat’s death, Sleiman texted Frank Criniti — part of the restaurant family empire — directly and asked for a booking for 10 at his Darling Harbour restaurant.

Sleiman lied to the crime commission about the reservation even though intercepted text messages suggested otherwise.

He was also asked about “the boys in your life”. Sleiman, shot in his underground carpark in Auburn in 2017, named Ahmad Ahmad and Timmy Chandab, but the crime commission kept probing.

“Do you want me to sit here and name you 1000 people?” a frustrated Sleiman replied.

The facts state Sleiman gave false information when he said he wasn’t “associating with anyone”, including when he was asked about his role as a debt collector.

“My wife’s having a baby now and I want nothing to do with anyone,” he said.

But the police alleged intercepted calls and texts that suggested Sleiman was involved in collecting debts for a whole range of people. He will be sentenced in February.

Defence lawyer Nick Hanna said his client denied any involvement in Barakat’s murder.

“Although almost four years have passed since Mr Barakat’s death, Mr Sleiman has never been charged in relation to it,” he said outside court.

Originally published as Court hears Emad Sleiman lied about dinner party on night bikie was killed