Sydney businessman Nahi Gazal’s $44m tax debt sees him banned from flying overseas for medical treatment

A businessman who is part of one of Sydney’s wealthiest families has been stopped from flying overseas for medical treatment because of a large tax debt.

The Supreme Court maintained a flight ban in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

A businessman who belongs to one of Sydney’s wealthiest families has been stopped from flying overseas for medical treatment because of a multimillion-dollar tax debt hanging over his head.

Nahi Nasri Gazal made an eleventh hour bid to the NSW Supreme Court before Christmas to have a flight restriction imposed by the Australian Tax Office lifted, claiming he needed to “urgently” fly to Switzerland and Slovenia for treatment for dementia.

But that application was last week refused with Justice Michael Slattery noting in his judgment that some of the medical and flight documents Gazal provided were “of dubious provenance” while others contained information that looked “unlikely to be genuine”.

Gazal, the uncle of Real Housewives of Sydney star Nicole and millionaire property developer Nabil Jnr, has been rather unlucky in business over the years, but never more so than in recent times when he accumulated a massive tax bill across three companies he oversees - NNG Holdings, NG Sydney Corporation and Belfield Development Pty Ltd.

Sydney businessman Nahi Nasri Gazal has been banned from flying overseas because of a massive tax debt. Photo: Facebook / Supplied

When the debt reached in excess of $44 million, the ATO agreed to a settlement with Gazal and to accept just $18 million, provided he pay it in full by March 1, 2024.

A total of roughly $6 million of that money was expected to come from bank accounts belonging to Gazal’s companies which had been frozen by a court order three years ago.

In an NNG Holdings’ bank account there was set to be $3.1 million, in NG Sydney Corporation’s bank more than $1.7 million and in Belfield Development’s bank $1.4 million.

But despite the freeze orders, by the back half of 2023 all that was left was less than $11,000 across all three companies.

Justice Michael Slattery refused Gazal’s application for the flight ban to be lifted in the NSW Supreme Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

After becoming aware of how significantly Gazal’s companies funds had dwindled, the ATO issued a Departure Prohibition Order to stop him flying overseas - fearing he may be looking to run away and avoid his debts.

“There is a risk of flight and should [Gazal] be able to leave the country, there is a risk that he will abscond and avoid his tax liabilities,” the ATO’s briefing stated, according to the judgment.

“There is [an] indication that he is likely to travel when there is no apparent need for travel. In fact, he has been claiming that he is sick and has produced dubious medical certificates.”

Nahi Gazal is the uncle of Real Housewives of Sydney star, Nicole O'Neil. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on Mrs O’Neill’s behalf. Picture: Richard Dobson

The NSW Supreme Court heard that one of Gazal’s own sons had turned against him over his refusal to pay the agreed money back.

“Based on intel received from his associates including his son, he has assets that he has not disclosed in his affidavit and have accessed to significant amount of funds,” part of an ATO document, read out in the NSW Supreme Court judgement, states.

Justice Slattery ultimately ruled that a lack of details on what would be “genuine” medical documents and boarding passes for overseas flights that “did not correspond with any conceivable airline flight scheduling”, on top of the risk of Gazal “absconding”, meant he could not drop the flight ban.