Salim Mehajer: the man behind that wedding

SALIM threw a wedding so lavish that it practically stopped a city. But it doesn’t stop there. The rest of his life is even more outlandish.

COLLEAGUES of the Sydney councillor whose lavish wedding caused traffic chaos are hardly surprised the man they call “Mr Teflon” is fighting the allegations against him.

Ambitious politician Salim Mehajer has a reputation for showboating within Auburn council, where he serves as deputy mayor, according to a fellow councillor.

Elected in September 2012, the cashed-up property developer vowed to put “shine back on my beloved city, the city that made me who I am today”, and said he would “set the highest standards for progress, safety, cleanliness and a truly Australian harmony of cultures for other cities to follow”, the Auburn Review reported.

Since his election the independent councillor has become acquainted with running into trouble — and getting out of it.

Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer holds a lavish wedding in Lidcombe. Pic: Toby Zerna

Last year he fought a tribunal decision to suspend him from council for a month for failing to declare pecuniary interests saying: “I can’t be compared to your average human”. The businessman had “over 30 properties to declare” and claimed there wasn’t enough space on the form for his investments, the local paper reported.

His penalty was reduced on appeal to only suspend his council salary for three months but otherwise remain in place on the council.

He caught the attention of the Election Funding Authority after missing a deadline to declare his spending and donations during a failed state election bid in 2011.

No action was taken.

When he ran into trouble with the law in 2012 after allegedly hitting two women with his $300,000 Ferrari, he successfully appealed his negligent driving conviction and was acquitted.

Now Cr Mehajer has won notoriety after his lavish wedding party at the weekend which infuriated neighbours, stopped traffic, and, one colleague says, “made a laughing stock” of the community.

The ceremony was held up as Cr Mehajer waited for his father, property developer Mohamad Mehajer, to be released from jail for a $3 million fraud conspiracy involving the National Australia Bank, Fairfax reports.

Over the disruptive nuptials, Cr Mehajer claims he’s done nothing wrong.

“That was the aim — the aim was to make it the best and biggest wedding ever,” he said in a radio interview this morning.

“I don’t think we did anything wrong”.

‘I’m special ...’

Salim Mehajer is the deputy mayor of Auburn.

But councillors can’t say they weren’t warned. His local government colleagues had a preview of the over the top celebration last month, when a regular council meeting was subjected to a musical “invasion” to mark Cr Mehajer’s impending union.

Stunned councillors watched as a procession of men playing drums and horns entered and took over the meeting to congratulate Cr Mehajer on his upcoming marriage, before the act ended and Mayor Ronney Ouiek called the meeting to order. One councillor told news.com.au he “turned the meeting into a circus”.

Another fellow councillor Ireme Simms told news.com.au Cr Mehajer would get no such reception at this week’s meeting, where he’s expected to be grilled over the weekend nuptials, which saw Cr Mehajer’s Lidcombe street and local park taken over by a fleet of sports cars and motorbikes, a jet, and four helicopters. Residents were allegedly warned via letterbox-drop their cars would be towed if they got in the way.

“I’m curious to see what happens to him. A fine won’t do anything because obviously money’s no object to him,” she said.

“He’s Mr Teflon, nothing sticks, he just thinks anything that goes wrong is never his doing. He’s enjoying the notoriety.”

Good morning from the BEST City in the world ... Mr Mehajer shared this shot with his Facebook fans this morning.

In a radio interview with KIIS FM breakfast hosts Kyle and Jackie O this morning, the newlywed denied wrongdoing saying he had a permit from council to occupy the street, but had no control over additional vehicles that joined his wedding procession fleet and held up traffic in the area.

“With regards to the traffic control and the vehicles there, we had a permit from council, however there was a number of vehicles, a number of motorcycles that exceeded the limit which I had no control over whatsoever,” he said.

“They can investigate all they wish, I’ve got nothing to hide. I’ll do everything I can and I’ll do it the right way because I’ve got nothing to hide.”

On the allegation that letters were sent to tow residents’ vehicles, he said that was “nonsense”.

An online petition has been started to have Mr Mehajer removed from council.

Mr Mehajir said he and his new bride, Aysha, had received a great deal of support along with the public outrage over their extravagant celebration.

The councillor had long-billed the event as the “wedding of the year” and was satisfied with the result.

A fireworks display, 10-tier cake and walls of flower arrangements were among the opulent features enjoyed by guests, including musician Missy Higgins and former NRL player Beau Ryan, at the Iron Cove reception venue.

Mr Mehajer shows off his ‘second suit for the evening’, new bride and towering cake.

The pair were spending the first few days of their married life relaxing in Sydney, Cr Mehajer said, ahead of their December honeymoon.

This morning he took to Facebook to share a shot of his view from the shower in “the best city in the world”.

Cr Mehajer appeared happy with the attention, telling the radio show he had plans to be “the next superstar”, and had ambitions to enter state politics.

“I’ll continue to run independent though,” he said.

“My vision won’t change and I’m not going to change for anyone.”

He also asked assistance to make it to Hollywood, directing listeners to his pre-wedding video.

“I want to be the next superstar,” he said.

The scene of the crash involving Salim Mehajer‘s Ferrari 612 Scaglietti.