Convicted killer sought in Condell Park shooting

POLICE want to interview convicted killer Walid “Wally” Ahmad in relation to the shooting death of Safwan Charbaji in Sydney’s west at the weekend.

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POLICE want to interview convicted killer Walid “Wally” Ahmad in relation to the shooting death of Safwan Charbaji in Sydney’s west at the weekend.

Mr Charbaji, 32, died after he was shot in the chest and Abdullah El Masri, 35, remains in an induced coma after a shootout outside Ahmad’s A Team Smash Repairs business in Condell Park on Saturday.

It is understood Ahmad, who was convicted of the 2002 killing of Mayez Dany, was at the smash repair business when the argument broke out.

Witnesses said two groups of men argued for about 45 minutes before they drew guns and began shooting at each other. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Detectives are hunting up to three gunmen and believe at least two guns were fired during the firefight.

Bloodstains were visible on the roadside outside A-Team Body Works where the shooting took place. Picture: Jeremy Piper

It is also understood Mr El Masri is a close friend of Ahmad and the men were all known to each other.

Witnesses said a large group of men argued for up to 45 minutes before guns were drawn and the groups fired at each other from opposite sides of the street.

Police last night charged Mohammed Alameddine, 26, with concealing an indictable offence after he attended Bankstown Police Station.

Police will allege that he was the driver on one of the vehicles that took injured men to hospital. He was refused bail and will appear before Bankstown Local Court today.

Police said detectives were hunting up to three gunmen and at least two guns had been fired. Homicide Squad commander Detective Acting Superintendent Mark Henney could not rule out that more weapons were present.

The injured men were driven to Bankstown Hospital before emergency services arrived on the scene.

There was blood on the door and bullets strewn on the ground next to this car that was abandoned at the hospital after the men were dropped off.

“There were a lot of people involved in some sort of dispute, there was a lot of pushing and shoving before gun fire was exchanged,” Detective Superintendent Henney told The Daily Telegraph.

“The crime scene hasn’t indicated that a lot of guns were being pulled out every which way (but) there is evidence to suggest at least two guns were fired.”

The homicide boss said detectives had identified five men who they were looking to for help with their investigations; Mr El Masri, Adam Abboud, 22, and Mohammed Elmir, 22 - both Abboud and Elmir were charged with concealing an indictable offence after they allegedly drove Mr Chabaji to Bankstown Hospital - Alameddine and Ahmad.

He said that El Masri and Mr Chabaji had been dropped at separate hospital entrances and urged those who transported Mr El Masri to come forward.

“Unlike a lot of case where there are people to talk to at crime scenes, when we got to the crime scene no one was there,” Detective Superintendent Henney said.

“The victims turned up at the hospital in separate vehicles.”

A close spokeswoman for Mr Chabaji’s family said the family were struggling to come to terms wit the “senseless murder”.

“We can’t understand why he was targeted and we don’t understand why this has happened,” she said.

It is understood that a post-mortem will be carried out on Mr Chabaji this morning.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Originally published as Convicted killer sought in Condell Park shooting