Parramatta councillor Benjamin Barrak accused of foul-mouthed tirade

A Parramatta councillor will respond to a court application next month after he was accused of making threats towards a Sydney Liberal branch president.

Parramatta councillor Benjamin Barrak.

A Sydney Liberal party councillor will respond to a court application next month after he was accused of a foul-mouthed tirade directed at a fellow party member.

NSW Police are making a personal violence order application on behalf of Lakemba Liberal branch president Mohammad Zaman against Parramatta councillor and lawyer Benjamin Barrak.

Court documents reveal Mr Barrak is accused of making threats towards Mr Zaman after he entered his Lakemba grocery store on two occasions in April this year.

Footage of one incident showed Mr Barrak throwing a chair and paper in the man’s store.

Mr Barrak, who according to documents denies the allegations, is accused of saying “good luck keeping your house you f****** stupid c***”.

Parramatta Liberal councillor Benjamin Barrak is accused of launching a tirade against Mohammad Zaman.

Lakemba Liberal branch president Mohammad Zaman. Picture: AAP/Matthew Vasilescu

He is also accused of saying “you f****** idiot, not listening to us, you are being a smart arse, you get f*****, you will never run again, you are finished from the party, left and right working together now we are more than 60 per cent we will take over your branch”.

He’s also accused of sticking his middle finger up in the man’s face.

The meeting was shortly before the Watson federal electoral conference (Canterbury-Bankstown) annual general meeting, which would decide who would run the party within the electorate.

“The PINOP is fearful of the defendant given his actions inside the grocery store and suspects he is using his associates to try and get the PINOP and derail his position within the Lakemba branch (of the) Liberal party,” court documents say.

“After the incident the PINOP became extremely stressed, not being able to sleep and losing up to 5kg.”

Mr Barrak had been engaged as Mr Zaman’s lawyer overseeing his financial affairs, which included Mr Zaman being declared bankrupt.

Since the incident police have successfully applied for a non-urgent PVO.

However, the application in Bankstown Local Court next month would prevent Mr Barrak from contacting Mr Zaman for two years, except via Mr Zaman’s lawyer.

In April a NSW Liberal party spokesman said that the party would investigate the matter.

Yesterday a party spokesman said “the investigation is ongoing”, declining to comment further.

The party’s state executive is also yet to decide whether to endorse Liberal candidates in Parramatta for the upcoming local government elections in December.

“The defendant stated the incident was simply an argument between two political factions, denying any allegation of intimidating the PINOP, telling police he has said all he has had to say when further asked about a formal interview,” court documents said in relation to Mr Barrak‘s comments.

When contacted by the Saturday Telegraph, Mr Barrak declined to comment.