Bikie boss blames alleged fraud on house hunting pain
BIKIE boss Sleiman Tajjour was just trying to live the “Australian dream” and put a roof over his family’s heads when he fraudulently obtained a home loan, court told.
BIKIE boss Sleiman Tajjour was just trying to live the “Australian dream” and put a roof over his family’s heads when he fraudulently obtained a home loan, a court has heard.
Tajjour, 37, national president of the Nomads, appeared via audio-visual link before Burwood Local Court on Wednesday where he faced a sentencing hearing on two charges of publishing false and misleading information to obtain financial advantage.
Tajjour pleaded guilty in April to falsifying information on two home loan applications between August and October 2015 so he could get approval for $750,000 and $580,000 loans.
His lawyer Omar Juweinat told the court Tajjour, his wife and two children were living with his wife’s uncle in a one bedroom flat at the time of the offences and there was no wider scheme at play.
“The ultimate goal in these circumstances was to get finance over the line to put a roof over the head of this gentleman’s young family. That was really the entire way in which this incident was instigated,” Mr Juweinat told the court.
MORE NEWS:
Shame file: Defence Force members investigated
Former prime minister Bob Hawke makes appearance after health scare
Luke Foley’s concern for ‘middle ring’ suburbs
“It was not a scheme where the bigger picture was an unlawful venture. It was something he had to do in order to live the Australian dream and that was at some point owning his own home.
“We are not dealing with a well thought out, sophisticated fraud operation. We are dealing with an application for finance which unfortunately went sour.
“One might rhetorically ask where his level of culpability lies in light of the recent findings of the royal commission into the banking sector.”
In one application Tajjour allowed a dodgy lease agreement for a Hunter’s Hill unit to be used as part of his financing.
Documents submitted as part of the loan application claimed it was being rented for $650 a week but it was in fact only being rented out for half that amount.
While another loan application, signed by Tajjour, contained a falsified statutory declaration in which a family member said they would pay the Tajjour’s $250,000 cash as a one of gift to help finance the loan.
Subsequent investigations found that family member was not in the country at the time the statutory declaration was signed.
Magistrate Hugh Donnelley accepted Tajjour’s purpose for getting a loan was so he could take the money and run.
“I accept that everyone wants to live in their home but I don’t think in a court case it can be taken very far,” he told the court.
Tajjour’s sentencing on the home loan fraud matters has been adjourned to Friday before Burwood Local Court.
STRIKE FORCE RAPTOR SPECIAL INVESTIGATION
► CHAPTER ONE: Inside the squad that beat Sydney’s gangs
► CHAPTER TWO: The real-life police fight club
Threat left at Jewish bakery owned by celebrity chef
A Jewish bakery owned by TV chef Ed Halmagyi has been attacked with terrorism graffiti and a threatening note left under the door.
Exemptions for 11,000 students as HSC set to begin
70,000 students are set to begin their HSC exams, with an expected 11,000 of those to be given some kind of exemption by education authorities. Here’s why the number has increased in the last five years.