Accused terrorist to face Supreme Court trial
A MAN accused of plotting a terror attack at Federation Square on New Year’s Eve has been committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court — but he says he is not guilty.
Law & Order
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A MAN accused of plotting a terror attack at Federation Square on New Year’s Eve has been committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court.
Ali Khalif Shire Ali, 21, from Werribee, pleaded not guilty to preparing and collecting documents to commit a terror attack in Melbourne on December 31, 2017.
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Melbourne magistrate Simon Zebrowski, after hearing details from witnesses for two days, said he was satisfied there was “sufficient evidence” to send Mr Ali to trial.
A majority of the evidence was heard behind closed doors, with concerns Australian Federal Police methodology could be revealed in evidence given by undercover federal agents.
Mr Zebrowski also refused media requests for copies of witness statements tendered as evidence.
The court, open to the public on Wednesday, heard Mr Ali had been the target of a 12-month undercover sting, Operation San Jose, by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team.
Hours of recordings from telephone intercepts and physical surveillance of Mr Ali collected during the operation will form part of the prosecution’s case against him.
Federal agent Jonathan Bedford told the court that officers were watching him “sometimes daily” throughout March and April last year.
He was arrested and charged in November.
Warsame Hassan, the owner of WIX computer repair shop in Footscray, also gave evidence about how Mr Ali did work experience with him last year.
“He was working with me two or three months,” Mr Hassan told the court.
He said Mr Ali wanted to learn about computers and how to fix iPhones and iPads.
Throughout the two-day hearing Mr Ali, wearing a grey suit over a white button-up collared shirt, smiled, nodded and waved to his family sitting in court to support him.
The preliminary hearing to determine if he should stand trial had not run smoothly.
It was scheduled for four days from Monday, but it could not start until Tuesday after there was no room to transport him on the bus from jail to the court.
Cells at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court were also full throughout the day.
Despite the hearing finishing a day earlier, the court ordered Corrections Victoria pay defence lawyer Jarrod Williams costs of $2182 for the day’s work lost on Monday.
When Mr Zebrowski asked Mr Ali, standing in the dock, how he pleaded to the two charges, he said: “Your honour, I plead not guilty.”
He was remanded in custody to appear in the Supreme Court on June 22.