By Rachel Browne
A woman is facing charges over allegedly suspicious fires at a function centre linked to the family of corrupt former politician Eddie Obeid.
The first fire broke out at the Bellevue function centre in Bankstown early on December 26, 2016. The blaze was extinguished a short time later, but had caused major smoke damage.
CCTV footage shows a person inside the function centre on December 26, 2016.Credit: NSW Police
A second fire broke out on January 3, 2017, causing significant structural damage.
Police arrested the 26-year-old woman, from Bankstown, at Mascot on Thursday and charged her with a number of offences in relation to both fires.
The rear entrance to The Bellevue function centre in Bankstown that was damaged by fire.Credit: Kate Geraghty
Last month, 33-year-old Omar Jamal Eddine was charged over the January 3 blaze.
The woman has been charged with being an accessory after the fact and concealing a serious indictable offence.
In August, police released CCTV footage of two people inside the centre on December 26 and an image of a black XR-model Ford utility seen in the area at the time of the fire.
The building is owned by a company called Redpoc, whose directors are Eddie Obeid's long-time friend and former business partner Wally Wehbe and Eddie Obeid's son Paul Obeid.
Corrupt former politician Eddie Obeid.Credit: Daniel Munoz
The same building was damaged by fire in 2015 after a forced entry. No one has been charged in relation to this fire.
In 1993, a tenant in the building contacted police after noticing petrol dripping through the ceiling.
There is no suggestion that Mr Wehbe nor any member of the Obeid family had any involvement in the fires.
Mr Wehbe was one of 55 people who provided character references for Eddie Obeid, who was jailed in 2016 for misconduct in public office over his family's secret business deals at Circular Quay.
The woman was granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear at Bankstown Local Court on October 18.