Man charged after Taha Sabbagh shot dead at Elite Fight Force gym

A man trying to board an international flight has been charged over his alleged role in the death of Taha Sabbagh, who was shot outside a western Sydney gym.

A young man charged over the murder of Taha Sabbagh was allegedly involved in preparing a vehicle for the gunmen to use in their escape just minutes after gunning him down.

Le Nghia “Adam” Pham, 26, was about to board a plane to Vietnam on Sunday afternoon when NSW Police detectives arrested him and charged him over his alleged involvement in the shocking gangland murder last month.

With a t-shirt over his head to hide his face, Pham was led out of the Sydney International Airport terminal in handcuffs by detectives attached to Strike Force Pemak and taken to Surry Hills Police Station.

Homicide Squad boss Danny Doherty said that although the investigation is still continuing, some details have led police to believe Pham was a “getaway driver” in the Sefton shooting.

It will be alleged Pham dropped the people responsible for the shooting to the Mazda CX-3 in Sefton, after earlier placing a getaway car in a neighbouring suburb to assist the perpetrators to escape.

Le Nghia "Andy" Pham, 26,was arrested at Sydney Airport on Sunday and charged with murder over his alleged involvement in the killing of Taha Sabbagh. Picture: Facebook

Pham is led through Sydney International Airport by detectives on Sunday after being arrested before he could board a plane to Vietnam. Picture: NSW Police

“Police will allege that the 26-year-old man drove a second getaway car to the location of Birrong, just to recap there was a Mazda CX3 that was used by the people responsible for the shooting,” Mr Doherty said.

“That was then burned out in Birrong and they got into a second getaway car.”

Police said that the second getaway car, a silver Volkswagen Golf, was placed in Birrong by Pham about a week before the shooting.

“That Volkswagen Golf then went to an address in Bankstown, Police will allege that later (it) was then burned out in another area,” Mr Doherty said.

Sefton gym shooting victim Taha Sabbagh.

“We will allege that part of the joint criminal enterprise was that not only he placed the Volkswagen there on the day of the murder, we will allege that he drove the persons who had been responsible for the shooting to the Mazda CX3 and then was available and actively assisting in the area.

“(He) went to the address in the Bankstown area once that vehicle was dropped off in Bankstown, picked up those people who were responsible for the shooting and then drove away.”

Pham’s lawyer Annabel Wurth said at the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday her client wouldn’t be applying for bail and wasn’t required on screen.

She told the court the prosecution were seeking an eight week adjournment which was granted by Magistrate Greg Grogin.

Pham was ultimately refused bail and he will appear via video link for brief status mention on June 22.

Pham was charged with murder at Surry Hills Police Station on Sunday night, but it is not alleged he was the shooter who killed Mr Sabbagh. Picture: Facebook

Mr Doherty said Strike Force Pemak had been monitoring the 26-year-old and officers were alerted when he obtained his passport shortly after the killing.

“The timeframe where he was going to in Vietnam is unknown, but what I do know is that he bought a ticket to go to Vietnam, and what he got was a free trip to the police station.”

The Squad Commander urged anyone with information to come forward and help the grieving family.

“We were in touch with them yesterday, it‘s pretty mixed emotions for them,” Mr Doherty said.

“Again it‘s positive news that we are arresting someone in relation to the murder and hopefully this will be the first important phase of our investigation so we can get some more answers.”

Mr Sabbagh was shot dead in front of a 12 year-old boy outside the Elite Fight Force gym in Sefton about 6.30am on March 2, with his death being the most recent of 16 gangland murders on Sydney’s streets since late-2020.

Video of the shooting captured on CCTV showed a gunman get out of a Mazda sedan that had been parked outside the gym waiting for it to open, before running up to Mr Sabbagh’s car and firing bullets first through the front windscreen, and then through the driver’s side window.

The Elite Fight Force gym was known to be a regular hang out for some underworld figures, but Mr Sabbagh’s family insisted in the aftermath of his death that he was an innocent man - shot in a case of mistaken identity.

CCTV images of Elite Fight Force gym showing the deadly shooting, where six shots were fired.

With a t-shirt over his head to hide his face, the young man was led out of the terminal in handcuffs by NSW Police detectives attached to Strike Force Pemak on Sunday. Picture: NSW Police

The arrest of the man in relation to Mr Sabbagh’s shooting comes less than a week after another man was charged over his alleged involvement in the murder of Yusuf Nazlioglu last June.

That man - Mohammed Hosni Khaled - was also charged with murder over allegations he was involved before and after Nazlioglu’s murder, but there is no suggestion he was in any way involved in Mr Sabbagh’s shooting.

He was last week refused bail and was remanded in custody ahead of his next court appearance in June.

Originally published as Man charged after Taha Sabbagh shot dead at Elite Fight Force gym