Salim Mehajer allegedly falsified affidavit using Zali Burrows’ signature
She represented him in court and was one of the first people by his side when he was released from jail. Now Salim Mehajer is in trouble with the law again – but this time Zali Burrows won’t be in his corner.
Police & Courts
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Salim Mehajer has found himself in strife yet again – this time for allegedly falsifying an affidavit with the signature of his ex-lawyer.
North Shore detectives served Mehajer, who has been living in a Harbour-view apartment in Kirribilli, on Friday night with a court attendance notice for the charge of using a false document to obtain a financial advantage.
Snitch understands Mehajer is accused of preparing an affidavit bearing the signature of his former lawyer Zali Burrows in March.
But when the document in question was drawn up, Ms Burrows was no longer Mehajer’s lawyer.
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Ms Burrows represented Mr Mehajer last year and was by his side when he was released from Cooma jail after serving 11 months for electoral fraud.
Mehajer, who has had more lawyers than hot dinners, and Ms Burrows parted legal ways earlier this year.
Ms Burrows is not accused of any wrongdoing.
The charge topped off a busy month for Mehajer, who was also slapped with another fraud charge on May 1.
In that matter, he is accused of misappropriating $100,000 through his former construction business, Sydney Constructions and Development, in 2018.
The 33-year-old former Auburn deputy mayor is due to appear in court on both charges in June. Both Mehajer and Ms Burrows were contacted for comment yesterday.
LAWYER CHARGED
Police have charged Western Sydney lawyer Hassan Hallak with attempting to pervert the course of justice and he’s due to face court in July.
The allegations stem from an incident in November 2019 when an Uber driver was allegedly bashed by two brothers from the Merrylands’ Alameddine family, Rafat and Hamdi, according to documents tendered in court.
The Uber driver reported the matter to police and the brothers were charged in December.
But police allege in the documents that another man entered the fray: Masood Zakaria.
On December 19 the victim was meant to be attending the police station to identify one of the people who attacked him on a picture board.
However, police allege in the documents that he never showed up and that Zakaria diverted the victim to Fairfield Local Court to meet with Hallak instead.
Police allege Hallak told officers the Uber driver was his client and no longer wanted to give a statement against the Alameddines because they had been wrongly accused.
Police went the other way and charged the lawyer and Zakaria with perverting the course of justice, alleging he had been part of a plot to have the victim retract his statement.
Snitch made several attempts to reach Hallak for his side of the story but calls went straight to voicemail.
LUCKY LOY
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Jeff Loy should buy a lottery ticket.
Last month, his unmarked police 4WD was nicked from outside his home in Sydney’s south and the hunt was on to find it before it ended up in a scrap yard or used in a joy ride.
But it appears the opportunistic thieves bit off more than they could chew.
The 4WD was found last week parked in a quiet cul-de-sac in Engadine with all Mr Loy’s property untouched and still inside.
Mr Loy’s police shirts and jacket were there and the police radio, which had been electronically disabled after it was stolen, and dashboard lights left in situ.
Turns out a retired police officer who lived nearby called the car in after noticing it parked in the same spot for days.
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Ava.benny-morrison@news.com.au or Brenden.hills@news.com.au