Sydney rapper Ali ‘Ay Huncho’ Younes refused bail on kidnapping charge

A judge has refused to release the popular Sydney rapper on bail, despite his manager agreeing to lodge a significant amount of money with the court as surety.

Controversial rapper Ali Younes will remain behind bars on remand after a judge refused his application for bail on serious kidnapping charges.

The 27-year-old, who goes by the stage name Ay Huncho, was among more than a dozen men arrested and charged in March after widespread raids that police allege “eliminated” what was left of the Alameddine crime clan and its associates.

Younes, and his co-accused, Ali Elmoubayed, were both charged with kidnapping in company amid allegations they joined four other men in luring a man to a property in Granville where he was detained and bashed.

The court heard blood was found on the alleged victim, who suffered multiple injuries and was unconscious after being ambushed between 11pm on January 18 and 1am on January 19.

Police will allege a covert surveillance device captured Younes at the property at the time of the alleged bashing, while a second secret device later recorded him bragging and joking about the assault, allegedly accusing the man of “leaking information” to rival groups and saying he “deserved” what had happened to him.

Australia rapper Ali Younes (right), pictured with his lawyer Abdul Saddik, outside Downing Centre Local Court last year. Picture: Jeremy Piper

However, Younes’ lawyer, Philip Strickland SC, said his client denied the allegations against him and tendered footage from the surveillance device, which he claimed showed very little by way of identification.

“My submission will be a tribunal of fact will not be able to identify from the video … the applicant or indeed any person as being involved in the alleged offence,” Mr Strickland said.

Younes, a.k.a. Ay Huncho, is a celebrated rap artist.

He said Younes would agree to daily reporting to police, wearing an electronic ankle monitor and abiding by a curfew should he be released on bail, while his manager had agreed to lodge a $500,000 surety with the court.

“So the manager knows … that if (Younes) doesn’t appear, he risks losing his half a million dollars,” Mr Strickland said.

“And (Younes) knows that if he breaches bail, he risks the relationship with his manager and his career.”

Prosecutors opposed Younes’ release application, noting he had a lengthy criminal history and had breached court orders on multiple occasions in the past.

They also raised concerns over his association with the Alameddine crime clan, saying others associated with the group had previously fled the country while on conditional liberty.

Justice Sarah McNaughton refused to release Younes, despite acknowledging he faced an extended period of time on remand until the matter came to trial.

“In my view, though, there are a combination of reasons why the proposed bail conditions … do not satisfy the court that the risk of (Younes) fleeing the jurisdiction can be appropriately mitigated,” she said.

“The amount of half a million dollars in the scheme of things, with the Sydney property market being as it is … is not a significant enough amount of money, in my view, to guarantee this applicant’s attendance.”

The case will return to court later this year.

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