Colourful restaurateur launches legal action against Mick Gatto

A colourful restaurateur embroiled in a bitter feud with Mick Gatto is now suing the prominent Melbourne identity, alleging he conspired to have trumped up firearm charges brought against him.

Jamal Khan Mohammad has launched legal action against Mick Gatto. Picture: Aaron Francis

A colourful restaurateur embroiled in a bitter feud with Mick Gatto has launched legal action against the prominent Melbourne identity, alleging he conspired to have trumped up firearm charges brought against him.

Jamal Khan Mohammad, 61, was charged with possessing multiple firearms, an imitation gun and ammunition after weapons were uncovered during a police raid of his Beaumaris home last year.

Mr Mohammad, who denied the weapons were his, is now suing Mr Gatto, 69, and another man, Adam Wright, alleging they plotted to have him charged by telling police he threatened to kill Mr Gatto before planting guns with his fingerprints on them in his cousin’s car.

In documents he filed himself to the Supreme Court, Mr Mohammad alleges Mr Wright called Crime Stoppers on September 13 last year informing them Mr Mohammad had firearms and was plotting to kill Mr Gatto at Lobster Cave restaurant in Beaumaris the next day.

Mick Gatto and Jamal Khan Mohammad.

Detectives from Victoria Police’s organised crime Viper task force arrested Mr Mohammad at his Beaumaris house later that day where they uncovered two firearms.

In court documents, Mr Mohammad alleges the guns had his fingerprints on them and were found in the boot of his cousin’s Range Rover parked on the street.

But he denies he owned them, instead claiming they were planted in the vehicle by Mr Wright six days earlier.

Mr Mohammad alleges Mr Wright, on the instruction of Mr Gatto, obtained his fingerprints by tricking him into picking up the weapons at an earlier meeting.

Victoria Police has also been named as a defendant in the lawsuit, with Mr Mohammad alleging detectives ignored his explanation and unlawfully arrested him.

“The Plaintiff seeks aggravated damages for distress, pain, insult, hurt, humiliation and the

like, including by being arrested in public, handcuffed and falsely put under duress for over

a year,” court documents state.

Mr Mohammad alleges Mr Gatto conspired to have trumped up firearm charges brought against him. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Mr Mohammad, the former owner of Port Melbourne restaurant Waterfront, and Mr Gatto, were once friends but fell out amid a deepening dispute over an alleged $4m debt Mr Mohammad claims he is owed.

In February, he filed 10 private charges against Mr Gatto, including blackmail, extortion with threats to kill, assault and firearms offences, some of which related to business dealings and dated back 25 years.
The Office of Public Prosecutions took over the private prosecution and charged Mr Gatto in September after considering evidence compiled by Mr Mohammad.

When approached for comment, Mr Gatto told the Herald Sun Mr Mohammad was a vexatious litigant.

“The courts have better things to do than put up with a clown like him,” he said.

Victoria Police and Mr Wright declined to comment.

Originally published as Colourful restaurateur launches legal action against Mick Gatto