The Snitch: Bikie’s violent extortion attempt on tax fraudster Adam Cranston

It was the biggest tax fraud in Australian history and a high profile bikie wanted a cut of the ill-gotten gains. Also a burglar breaks into court. Don’t miss The Snitch.

High profile Comanchero bikie Tarek Zahed has been revealed in court as being at the centre of a violent extortion plot against $105 million tax fraudster Adam Cranston.

Much has been made of the shake down attempts made on Cranston and his crew where bikies attempted to get hold of some of the millions they had stolen from the Australian Taxation Office.

But during Cranston’s trial in the NSW Supreme Court, it was revealed that Zahed – one of Australia’s highest profile bikies – was involved in the extortion attempt on Cranston’s group at their Double Bay office in May 2016.

During the year-long trial, which resulted in a jury finding Cranston and others guilty of conspiring to cause a massive loss to the ATO, details were revealed about the extortion attempt that was described in court as “absolutely terrifying”.

Adam Cranston.

Tarek Zahed. .

The jury was told Zahed was one of a number of bikies that entered the office and targeted Cranston’s business partner, ex snowboarder Jay Onley, who was also found guilty.

The court was told, “Jay Onley was singled out, thrown up against the wall, punched (and) told that he and/or his family members would be killed unless he or his associates paid them money”.

Evidence was also given that “one of the extorters had a photograph on the evidence of Mr Onley‘s young daughter”.

In his closing to the jury, Onley’s barrister Russ Johnson said: “These are terrifying events. Absolutely terrifying”.

In his closing address, Mr Johnson took the jury through Zahed’s criminal record, that includes causing a dog to inflict bodily harm on a person.

BURGLAR BREAKS INTO COURT

You would think Parramatta Children’s Court would be one of the more secure buildings in Western Sydney.

But that did not stop an “unknown male” breaking into the building that is located on the corner of George and O’Connell St in the dead of night this week.

The building, which is also right next door to the police’s Parramatta Local Area Command, is home to all manner of sensitive legal material, including court records and exhibits used in cases.

We’re told the burglar somehow infiltrated the building that has CCTV cameras all over it about 2.30am on Monday.

An insider at the court reported that the intruder stole a master set of keys and that the chambers of at least one judicial officer had been ransacked.

So what was their motivation? Stealing court records? Revenge on a magistrate? Super high risk vandalism?

The answer is still pending.

What’s more, they are still on the run, according to NSW Police. We contacted the Local Court’s media office in relation to the report about the set of masters keys being stolen, but they were schtum on the issue.

Stay tuned.

HELLO ICAC?

Are you there?

Because we are. And we are still waiting for your report on ex NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

In January, ICAC announced that its report into Ms Berejiklian would be delayed for a third time and wouldn’t see the light of day before the March state election.

Well, that’s come and gone and we’re staring down the barrel of May. And what have we got? Radio silence.

The last delay was blamed on the complexity of the investigation.

Why are we still awaiting the report on ex NSW Premier Gladys Berejikilian.. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Also in January, former ICAC assistant commissioner Anthony Wealey KC opened up a can on the commissioner tasked with producing the investigation, Ruth McColl SC, telling the ABC: “They’ve not been able to get that commissioner to perform with what I would call a moderate standard of efficiency.”

The ICAC probe, known as Operation Keppel, began as an investigation into the former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire.

But it was then widened following some explosive revelations about Berejiklian in 2020, including that she had a “close personal relationship“ with him.

There are also rumours that one senior ICAC figure is not happy with how the report has been drafted.

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