Abuzar Sultani: Court hears flowers led police to Pasquale Barbaro’s killer

Less than 72 hours after Abs Sultani pumped five bullets into wannabe Mafia boss Pasquale Barbaro, fresh flowers at a Western Sydney cemetery led police to the suspect.

When Abs Sultani pumped five bullets into an already dying Pasquale Barbaro as he lay on a footpath after chasing him down a Sydney street, it was sweet revenge.

The young killer executed the wannabe Mafia boss because he believed he was behind the death of his mentor and friend, Joe Antoun.

After the murder, police who had fixed a tracking device to a Mercedes often used by Sultani noted the car was stationary for a long period of time at a cemetery in western Sydney.

They then used a GPS tracker which led them to the gravesite of Joe Antoun.

“Officers observed there to be red flowers freshly laid on the gravesite. It is the crown case Sultani visited the gravesite of Antoun on this date, less than 72 hours after the murder,’’ court documents stated.

The visiting of the grave just added weight to the theory police had formed as the motive for killing Barbaro as they delved into the murder of Antoun.

As part of the investigation Homicide Detective Pete Smith interviewed Sultani who told him he had met Joe Antoun through George Alex in about 2010, and the pair formed a strong bond. Sultani was also an associate of George Alex who paid him $1000 a week for a year or so in to have companies in his name.

Police comb the street in Earlwood where Pasquale Barbaro was shot dead. Picture: Dean Lewins / AAP

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Alex. Antoun was shot dead as he opened his door at his home on December 16, 2013.

“The de facto partner of Antoun, as well as a number of other witnesses, have confirmed Antoun and Sultani were close in the time leading up to Antoun’s murder,’’ court documents stated.

Just two weeks after he was executed, Sultani told homicide detectives he was “very’’ close to him and had driven him home that night before he was shot.

It was known Sultani was furious that someone had killed his mentor.

The next year, Brothers for Life Boss, Fahad Qaumi and a number of his gang were charged with the murder.

Wannabe Mafia boss Pasquale Barbaro was shot dead in 2016. Picture Instagram

During their trial in 2016 the evidence given indicated Barbaro was close to Qaumi, giving him money with the clear inference to everyone he may well have been behind the murder of Antoun.

When they were found guilty, Sultani was seen at the sentencing hearings of the man convicted of pulling the trigger, with observers saying he displayed negative feelings towards him.

Antoine Antoun, told the court his brother had told him before he died that Barbaro had been behind an attempt on his life and still wanted him dead.

Then nine hours before Barbaro died in a hail of bullets Detective Senior Constable Luke McAneney gave evidence suggesting Barbaro organised or paid for Antoun’s death.

That appeared to be enough for Sultani.

THE NIGHT HE DIED

By November 14, police knew Sultani and his crew were a killing squad and were trying to gather evidence on them for multiple murders. His unit at Olympic Park where he lived with his sergeant at arms, Siar Munshizada in unit 2803 was bugged. Tracking devices were fitted on a number of cars that they used. Unfortunately, police were not watching them in real time nor did they have devices on every car.

Amazingly at 2.30pm on the day the mafia boss was to be executed one of Sultani’s crew, Arum Makinadjian found a listening device in a Holden Calais he was driving.

“Hey my brother we found a bug in silver car,’’ Joshua Baines texted Munshizada according to the court documents.

But despite that they still went on with their plan.

At 4pm, Barbaro got in his Mercedes Benz and drove to George Alex’s mum’s home at 6 Larkhall Ave Earlwood.

Both were heavy hitters in the construction industry and the pair had been in a dispute over the running of labour hire companies. Police noted that Antoun and Alex were also business partners, as was Sultani.

Barbaro parked his car outside Alex’s mother’s home facing the wrong way and went inside.

Fifteen kilometres away Sultani and his crew were planning his death.

Later a recording from inside the unit, included in court documents, picked up Sultani talking about how they would go about it. Using their own code it became apparent they were going to take Barbaro out.

Sultani: “Um, so this dead road, we try to get push in?

Danisyshar “I push in?

Sultani “I think we cut it. Whatever it is, you can. Thing coming out, you know?

Munshizada: Mmm

Sultani: We will. And swear we will double back after. I’ll be good. I’ll memorise it.

Munshizada: Mm..

Sultani:.. Thing coming out …., we bridge in. Boom.the other thing.

A coroner’s illustration of Pasquale Barbaro lethal injuries.

Police believe the conversation, as convoluted as it seems to anyone but a crook or a cop, was Sultani giving the two orders on the take down. By 6.30pm another two members of the gang, were also inside the unit.

An hour later Sultani and two others are caught leaving the unit with Sultani carrying a large bag, which police said contained clothing to change into after the hit. Sultani and Danishyar were texting on their BlackBerry phones.

According to court documents, Sultani, Danishyar and Munshizada got into a black Subaru WRX which had a tracking device on it and a bug inside it. They drove to Wentworth Park and picked up Joshua Baines where their conversations were recorded.

By now it’s 7.52pm and Barbaro has less than two hours to live.

Sultani: “Give me the map ….is it street or place? Ring what?

Danishyar: “Ah its a crescent I think he said or street.’’’

Sultani was using an old fashioned street directory to go to Ring Street Belmore where a stolen Audi Q7 was stashed.

They believe he used a street directory rather than google maps so they would not leave a footprint of where they had been.

At 7.55 Sultani says to Munshizada “‘ I’ve got a hoodie here for you too’’

“For me? Oh yeah I’ll just wear that you reckon,? He replied.

Abuzar Sultani, a one time member of the Rebels bikie group, was the commander of what one police officer described as a sophisticated “black ops” killing squad.

The pair discuss what jumpers they would wear as they drove to collect the stolen Audi, which had been parked in the street since November 4 after being stolen from Bankstown in May and fitted with fake number plates, copied from a similar vehicle registered in Leeton.

They continue to discuss what balaclavas, shoes and clothing they will wear, often speaking in a Persian dialect.

Sultani, Munshizada and Baines get into the Audi while Danishyar drives around Campsie, Belmore and Strathfield for the next hour and half.

At about 9pm a resident in Larkhall Street noticed a silver Audi SVU which he thought seemed suspicious.

It parked just 10 metres from Barbaro’s Mercedes, then t drove down the street, did a U-turn and parked about twenty metres away on the other side of the street facing Barbaro’s Merc.

At 9.30 Barbaro sauntered out of George Alex’s home and got into the driver’s seat of his car.

At the same time Danishyar-, sitting in the WRX at Strathfield, gets a BlackBerry message and is recorded and in the court documents reciting prayers from the Koran, saying “audhu billah, “al-faitha and “qui huwa allahu ahad’’.

Mirwais Danishyar

Siar Munshizada. Picture: Toby Zerna

Danyshyar, a Muslim, was praying as he knew Barbaro was about to die.

At 9.25pm CCTV from a house across the road captures Barbaro turning on his headlights.

Within seconds, the Audi drives up next to the Mercedes and a man gets out and runs up/to the Mercedes carrying a gun in his left hand.

Baines shoots from the car smashing the passenger’s side window, hitting Barbaro in the chest.

Realising he is under attack, Barbaro gets out of the car and begins to run down the footpath of Larkhall Avenue, losing a shoe as he runs.

Sultani let off one round at the fleeing Barbaro and began to chase him, going out of the sight of CCTV, running between the Audi and the Merc while the Audi, driven by Munshizada reversed down the street following the bleeding Barbaro.

Badly wounded, he fell to the ground where Sultani walked up to him and shot him five times in the back of the neck and head.

Mission accomplished, Sultani then gets back into the Audi. It was to be his last murder.