Sibel Rahamonovic pleads guilty to intimidation over $40,000 debt threats

A saga involving Macedonian dance teams, accommodation bills, and ticket sale disputes left a southern Sydney man chasing $40,000 worth of unpaid debts to extreme ends, a court has heard.

Sibel Rahamonovic leaves Sutherland Local Court in September. Picture: Elizabeth Pike

A Bosnian national went to extreme lengths to get back a $40,000 debt when he threatened to “f--k” the mother of a Sydney travel agent, a court has heard.

Sibel Rahamonovic, 43, was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court after pleading to intimidation.

The admission comes after Rahamonovic was left thousands of dollars out-of-pocket when he footed the accommodation costs for two Macedonian dance troupes to tour Australia in October 2019, court documents state.

Rahamonovic, of Greystanes, paid for the 41-person group to stay in hotels in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne during the 14-day trip, which amounted to more than $40,000.

Ticket sales from the tour underperformed and caused “ongoing disputes over money” between the troupe leaders, organisers and travel agents, however Rahamonovic’s role in the saga was not made clear in court or documents.

Sibel Rahamonovic pleaded guilty to intimidation. Picture: Elizabeth Pike

Almost a year later in September 2020, Rahamonovic sent a two-minute video to the victim cursing and threatening in Bosnian for the unpaid accommodation bill.

“F--k your mum, you are hiding in Australia … I’m in Bosnia now, I am in my own country, the law is a bit different here,” Rahamonovic said.

“F--k you and the law that is protecting you. You’re the biggest criminal. You’ve stolen money and you will return it.

“There hasn’t been anyone born to date that has not given me the money. So you better think with your head … You know what I am going to do to you … Just wait for me until I get to Sydney.

“I’ll f--k your mum. Prepare the money (spits at the camera) f--k your family.”

In court, Rahamonovic’s solicitor Ms Mikhaiec said her client was suffering from mental health conditions at the time and was threatened with losing his accommodation if he did not “rectify the situation”.

Ms Mikhaiec submitted the threats made against the victim’s mother were not serious as “it’s a fairly common cultural thing to hurl insults (about someone’s mother)”.

Magistrate Hugh Donnelly sentenced Rahamonovic to an 18-month conditional release order. Picture: Dylan Arvela

However, Magistrate Hugh Donnelly acknowledged concerns raised by the prosecution about the seriousness of the offence.

“It’s not so much that there was a debt, it’s about how he tried to get the money back,” Mr Donnelly said.

“But I do accept his position was a very difficult one.”

Mr Donnelly sentenced Rahamonovic to an 18-month conditional release order without conviction, extending him “leniency for the extenuating circumstances (he was in) at the time”.

It was not made clear if Rahamonovic was ever paid back the debt.