John Ibrahim’s mate denies planting gun at girlfriend Sarah Budge’s unit as a favour
John Ibrahim’s childhood friend has denied planting a gun at the home of the Kings Cross identity’s own girlfriend as a favour to him.
NSW
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John Ibrahim’s childhood friend has denied planting a gun at the home of the Kings Cross identity’s own girlfriend as a favour to him.
Police allegedly found former strip club baron Michael Frank Amante’s fingerprint on a paper bag containing bullets in the bedroom of model Sarah Budge in 2017.
It was discovered in the same black box as a loaded Glock 26 pistol in the wardrobe of the restaurant manager’s Double Bay apartment during dawn raids in August that year.
The 29-year-old has pleaded not guilty to three illegal firearm possession charges, blaming her 51-year-old lover or one of his associates for placing the stolen gun there without her knowledge.
Mr Amante told Budge’s Downing Centre District Court trial he doesn’t know why his fingerprint was found on the brown paper bag and denied ever seeing the gun or visiting Budge’s home.
The son of Frank “Ashtray” Amante ran the gentleman’s club Dreamgirls — on what was once Sydney’s most notorious party strip — from 2007 until 2018.
“Because John Ibrahim is a part owner, you effectively worked for him for many years?” defence barrister Simon Buchen SC asked.
“Yes,” Amante said on Thursday.
The convicted drug dealer said he’s attended strip club Christmas parties and Bali weddings with Mr Ibrahim over the years, but only met Budge in 2013 when she would visit her friend who was the Dreamgirls licensee at the time.
Amante told police he often bought medication from a local chemist and left the paper bags at the club, but said it was unlikely Budge took one he’d left behind.
“Can you think of any reason Ms Budge would pick up rubbish you had thrown away?” Mr Buchen asked during cross examination.
“She’s a nice lady, maybe she’s keeping the place clean, I don’t know,” Amante replied.
“Did you receive that bag from John Ibrahim?” Mr Buchen asked.
“No,” Amante said.
“Did you take that bag as a favour for Mr John Ibrahim?” Mr Buchen asked.
“No,” Amante said.
The court heard Amante has a lengthy criminal record dating back to 1992 which contains convictions for dishonesty and gun offences.
“If John Ibrahim, in July or August of 2017, had asked you to take something into Sarah Budge’s apartment, would you have done that?” Mr Buchen asked.
“Yes,” Amante said.
Amante said he was just helping a friend out in 2016 when he deposited nearly $1 million in small sums of cash into seven bank accounts for an old Waverley College school friend.
“He was just hiding the money from his wife, that’s not money laundering,” Amante said.
Amante said the respected accountant, who dealt with millions of dollars everyday, had been going through a divorce at the time so he didn’t think he was doing anything illegal.
The Crown alleges the gun, which was wrapped in a black beanie with it’s serial identification number scratched out, was stolen in 1999.
Seven of Budge’s fingerprints were allegedly found on the pharmacy bag containing the ammunition magazine inside the black box.
DNA linked to “an unidentified male” was also allegedly found on the trigger of the actual pistol, Prosecutor Chris Taylor said.
Budge was asleep at Mr Ibrahim’s Dover Heights mansion when police raided it and multiple other Sydney properties on August 8, 2017 in connection with a suspected international drug smuggling ring.
No charges have been laid against Mr Ibrahim — who Budge has been dating since 2014 — and the weapon charges against her are unrelated to the alleged syndicate.
The trial continues before Judge David Arnott.
Originally published as John Ibrahim’s mate denies planting gun at girlfriend Sarah Budge’s unit as a favour
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