Abdullay Abdalla faces court charged with murder of powerful crime figure Mohammed ‘Afghan Ali’ Keshtiar

A man accused of murdering slain underworld boss Mohammed “Afghan Ali” Keshtiar is also facing charges over an aggravated home invasion and an attack on a prison officer.

A man accused of murdering slain underworld boss Mohammed “Afghan Ali” Keshtiar is also facing charges over an aggravated home invasion and an attack on a prison officer.

Abdullay Abdalla, 25, from Hampton Park, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday afternoon – a day after homicide detectives charged him over the 2023 killing.

No details emerged in court as to how police allege he was involved in the death of Keshtiar, 53, who was shot dead as he walked with a friend in South Yarra on August 4, 2023.

But the Herald Sun can reveal he was charged this week from his Port Phillip Prison cell, where he is on remand over an alleged aggravated home invasion.

He has been in custody since mid-September, with court documents alleging he was armed with a silver revolver when he stormed a Lynbrook property with two co-accused “with the intent to damage property” on September 10.

He is also alleged to have assaulted an occupant at the house.

Within a month of being in custody, he was also allegedly involved in an assault on a prison officer at Ravenhall Correctional Centre on December 10.

Mohammed ‘Afghan Ali’ Keshtiar.

He has been charged with intentionally and recklessly causing injury to the guard and will return to court over that matter on June 25.

The court heard Mr Abdalla is contesting the home invasion charges, alongside his co-accused Rashith Perera and Ruy Ruy, at a two-day hearing starting on June 17.

He will return to court over the murder charges in September.

He was the second man to be charged over Keshtiar’s death, with Adris Kheyali, 23, fronting court on Friday charged with murder.

The Herald Sun can reveal that Mr Kheyali, who was last week charged with Keshtiar’s alleged murder, will apply for bail.

His bail bid will be heard in the Supreme Court, where bail applications on murder charges must be dealt with.

Adris Kheyali has also been charged with Keshtiar’s murder. Picture: Facebook

Mr Kheyali’s arrest was the first major breakthrough in the investigation.

The Herald Sun revealed he was a former accomplished boxer who had spent recent months travelling overseas, including being pictured with friends in Dubai.

It was also understood he had spent some time with relatives in Afghanistan.

Mr Kheyali once trained at the Fighters Xpress gym in Dandenong, which was destroyed in an arson attack in June 2023.

No date has yet been set for his bail application.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the reward remained on offer and investigations were ongoing.