Bassam Hamzy wants China to fund a Central American resort
Bassam Hamzy proposed a multimillion-dollar business partnership with the Chinese government in exchange for helping them gain political influence in a tiny Central American country.
NSW
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Infamous Sydney crime boss Bassam Hamzy proposed a multimillion-dollar business partnership with the Chinese government in exchange for helping the powerhouse nation gain political influence in a tiny Central American country.
And it all occurred legally while Hamzy was a prisoner inside Australia’s most secure jail.
The extraordinary insight into Hamzy’s bid to exert international political influence from behind bars at Goulburn’s Supermax can be revealed for the first time today after court documents were released by the NSW Supreme Court relating to the gangster’s legal privilege battle with the NSW Police.
The 45-year-old, who is serving a 40 year sentence for murder and large scale drug supply, has long confounded authorities with his ability to earn millions by running his criminal empire while behind bars.
But the documents have revealed the resourceful criminal has been using his time in jail to try his hand at international relations via a business proposal he put to China’s government.
Hamzy has long been planning to build a multimillion-dollar tourist resort – tentatively known as “Boss City” – in the Caribbean country of Belize. The nation is the home to a number of Hamzy’s wealthy relatives.
According to the documents, Hamzy contacted Chinese government officials – via the country’s Australian embassy – with a proposal they help fund the proposed resort, which is to feature villas, a water park and a sports stadium.
If it goes ahead, the resort will be a short flight from the US tourist mecca of Miami.
Hamzy’s goal is to take tourist dollars from the Mexican party town of Cancun, a long time favourite of sports stars, celebrities and school leavers.
In exchange for Chinese financial backing, the documents said Hamzy offered to help facilitate “recognition” and increased political influence for the Chinese with the Belize government, the documents said.
Hamzy suggested the Chinese government could partially, or completely, fund his development through its Belt and Road Initiative.
Belize has not signed up to the initiative, which was established by the Chinese government in 2013 as a way of expanding its influence.
It funds and invests in infrastructure projects in more than 150 signatory countries.
Hamzy’s lawyer Ross Hill, who is handling negotiations for his client, said plans for the project are continuing.
“There have been some high-level negotiations with the Chinese government, which are still ongoing and not without progress,” Mr Hill said. “If there was any question as to the legitimacy of the project (then) I wouldn’t have any involvement – it’s all above board.”
There is no suggestion of any impropriety by Mr Hill.
The Chinese Embassy in Canberra did not respond to questions about its opinion on Hamzy’s proposal or the thoughts of Cheng Jingye, who was ambassador at the time.
A number of Sydney lawyers contacted by The Saturday Telegraph said it is entirely legal for a lawyer to perform legal business activities on behalf of their incarcerated clients and discuss them during legal visits inside prisons – even if it is at Supermax.
“If you are a prison inmate, there is nothing legally preventing your solicitor from looking after your legitimate business affairs – as long as it’s legal,” one lawyer said.
“You can assist with setting up trust funds, legal business activity, or a whole range of legitimate business activities, the lawyer said.
Border security expert John Coyne said the Chinese government had a record of dealing with organised crime figures to garner influence.
“First and foremost, from a good international citizen perspective we don’t want Australians brokering influence overseas for any nation, let alone the Chinese,” he said.
“There are multiple data points now showing links between Chinese government, organised crime and influence operations. It’s not a one-off.”
A Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman said Hamzy was classified as an Extreme High Risk Restricted inmate and subject to intensive monitoring and supervision – aside from “legal communications”.
Hamzy has made a fortune from criminal activity.
Previous court cases have revealed he has laundered the criminal proceeds through property developments.
The source of any of Hamzy’s own money that he plans to use for the development – if any – is unknown.
NSW Police found Hamzy’s documents relating to the business proposal with China in 2019 but their contents have stayed hidden until today.
Investigators discovered the documents when they raided several properties linked to Hamzy and his then lawyer, Martin Churchill (inset left), court documents said.
Hamzy argued in court the documents were legally privileged. But Supreme Court Justice Richard Button rejected the argument and ruled they related to a “commercial enterprise” rather than communications that would be covered by legal privilege, according to his judgment published this week.
At one of Churchill’s properties, the court heard police discovered paperwork and correspondence the solicitor had written to the Chinese Ambassador to Australia.
It proposed that the “very significant commercial development” be “assisted” by the Chinese government.
In return for Chinese investment in the project, Mr Churchill offered to facilitate “recognition of the (People’s Republic of China) by Belize”, the documents said.
Due to his incarceration in the maximum security jail, Hamzy was supposed to have had extremely limited contact with the outside world. He circumvented this via Churchill.
The pair took advantage of authorities being unable to monitor their meetings because they were protected by legal professional privilege. The pair were eventually charged for engaging in ice dealing.
The 67-year-old lawyer was set to stand trial this year but died of natural causes in January. Hamzy was found guilty in May over the drug operation and will be sentenced this year.
The crime boss has been in jail since 1999 after he shot a teenager outside a Sydney nightspot. He hid with relatives in Belize before facing justice.
EXPLAINER
So Australia’s most notorious gangster has been trying to cut a business deal with the Chinese government from behind the walls of the state’s most secure prison.
That’s illegal, right?
Nope. Even from inside Goulburn’s Supermax, it is possible for a master criminal like Bassam Hamzy to exploit legal loopholes to get his message to China.
Legal sources told The Saturday Telegraph it is legal for a lawyer to conduct legitimate business for their clients who are incarcerated.
Usually, it’s relatively benign actions like getting business documents signed or similar.
In Hamzy’s case, court documents have revealed he was sending his lawyer out to cut a deal with the Chinese government in an attempt to have them fund the construction of a holiday resort in Central America.
In the absence of evidence that Hamzy was using, or planned to use, money derived from illegal activity – or committing other crimes to get the resort built – such activity gets the green light in NSW.
It’s just not a very easy thing to do in Supermax.
The prison has strict rules on protocols that lawyers have to clear.
But once they’re in a visiting room with their client, their conversations are covered by legal privilege. This means the authorities aren’t supposed to monitor them.
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