Salim Mehajer says reports are an April Fools’ Day joke but wife Aysha nowhere to be seen

AUBURN Council’s controversial former deputy mayor Salim Mehajer took to Facebook yesterday to claim reports about the breakdown of his marriage were an April Fools’ Day joke.

AUBURN Council’s controversial former deputy mayor Salim Mehajer took to Facebook yesterday to claim reports about the breakdown of his marriage were an April Fools’ joke.

The 29-year-old’s wife Aysha was nowhere to be seen and her family refused to discuss her whereabouts or the state of the marriage.

The couple’s lavish wedding in August last year featured four helicopters, a $50 million fleet of luxury cars and a motorcade of bikies on Harley Davidsons, which brought traffic to a standstill.

It also focused attention on his controversial property developments and role on the council.

Just seven months later claims have emerged Aysha, who transformed herself from strawberry blonde April Learmonth, “has packed her bags and is living with family in the Illawarra region’’.

Mr Mehajer wrote on Facebook: “Today is April fools day. Believe nothing, and trust no one like every other day.”

Last week Aysha removed herself as a director and secretary from 12 of her husband’s businesses, including his flagship Sydney Project Group. She left the companies just two days after her 30th birthday but kept her shares in four of the companies. In her place Mr Mehajer’s sister Khadijeh was signed in to cover the key roles.

Rumours the couple were not getting along have been swirling for weeks. A former council colleague said: “They were seen having a blazing row in public in the middle of Burwood two weeks ago.”

Aysha has stood by her husband as he faced legal actions and was suspended from his role on the council.

Last week she was absent for his appearance in Burwood Local Court when he was cleared of a charge of threatening Bruce Herat, the father of Lindt cafe survivor Joel.

The couple’s joint Instagram account, filled with images of their lavish wedding, has been deleted.