Adrian Moussa: Drug supplier won’t attend NRL grand final but will go to brother’s big wedding celebrations
A Merrylands man who supplied a commercial quantity of drugs wanted to attend extravagant wedding celebrations only weeks before he is expected to go to jail. He stopped short of asking to attend the NRL grand final.
St George Shire Standard
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A Merrylands drug supplier has successfully applied to be allowed to attend extravagant family wedding celebrations but stopped short of requesting to go to the NRL grand final.
Adrian Moussa, 29, along with his co-accused Zac Sweeney pleaded guilty to five charges each when they appeared in Sydney’s Local Court at the Downing Centre in July.
Sweeney and Moussa were charged with supplying a commercial quantity of drugs, knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime, knowingly directing activities of a criminal group, supplying an indictable to commercial quantity of drugs and not complying with a Covid direction.
On Friday, Moussa appeared in Supreme Court where he sought to have his bail conditions varied after being on “house arrest” for months.
Defence lawyer Steven Mercael originally indicated Moussa requested his bail conditions be relaxed so he could attend football games, including the NRL Grand Final, with his father and brother.
However, before Justice Peter Hamill decided on the application, Mr Mercael withdrew the request to attend the football games, also noting Moussa’s team Parramatta Eels, “were unlikely to get into the grand final”.
However, he pressed for his client to attend a series of family celebrations for his brother’s wedding in October.
This is set to include a rehearsal and two days of “pre-wedding events” such as lunches, shopping, golf, dinners and attending bars” where his father would also be present.
Mr Mercael said his client was unlikely to not attend his sentence date, noting he went to court on July 14, where he pleaded guilty to serious drug charges and knew the Crown would make an application to put him into custody while he awaited his sentence date, which was unsuccessful.
Justice Hamill granted the bail variation to attend the wedding celebrations, likely his last big family event before he is jailed.
In documents tendered to court, the police investigation identified Moussa and Sweeney as allegedly knowingly directing the activities of a criminal drug network in the Sutherland Shire between May 28 last year and their arrest on July 16.
Police allege they supplied 591.80 grams of cocaine, which is more than a commercial quantity.
Moussa allegedly dealt with $32,000 in cash, deemed the proceeds of crime, while Sweeney dealt with $11,545.
Police said the men’s actions were “organised and ongoing”, the documents said.
Moussa is disputing the amount of drugs he supplied, the cash and his role in the network.
Sweeney and Moussa further admitted to supplying 76.04 grams of cocaine on July 16.
The men were also charged with not complying with a Covid-19 direction after Moussa went to Sweeney’s Caringbah house from his Merrylands home without a valid reason during the Sydney lockdown period.
Sweeney, who established Cronulla’s Water’s Edge Cafe, was also granted Supreme Court bail in October last year after his first application in the Local Court was denied in July.
The men are due to be sentenced on November 10.
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