Salim Mehajer in court on electoral fraud charges

The Sydney Central Local Court will today hear charges of electoral fraud by former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer.

The Sydney Central Local Court will today hear charges of electoral fraud by former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer in the biggest alleged case yet against the property developer.

Australian Federal Police allege Mr Mehajer and his sister Fatima, a lawyer, forged 76 documents in the lead-up to Auburn council elections in September 2012.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

The allegedly fraudulent documents lodged by the Mehajers claimed seven members of the Mehajer family lived in a three-bedroom rented unit and 19 people with the same surname moved into more than a dozen homes in Auburn weeks before the election.

Lawyers for the Mehajers have pleaded not guilty.

Mr Mehajer shot to prominence in August 2015 when his opulent wedding, which included a jet flyover, four helicopters and $50 million worth of supercars, involved an unauthorised road closure and drew national media attention.

The AFP alleges that four weeks before the 2012 Auburn election, the 76 allegedly fraudulent forms were filed with the Australian Electoral Commission.

The forms allegedly contained forged signatures along with claims the 76 people the forms claimed to represent all lived in Auburn’s second ward, which the Mehajers were contesting.

On 19 of the forms the people allegedly living in Auburn’s second ward had the surname Kanj.

Mr Mehajer, who had formed a group of six candidates, was elected but Ms Mehajer was not.

The Auburn council was sacked last year after the NSW government launched an inquiry into relationships between councillors and property developers.

Mr Mehajer is being chased through the court by a string of creditors who claim to be owed money by him, including Anping Yan, a cleaner who claims to be owed $25,500. Mr Mehajer lost the case brought by Mr Yan, but has since appealed that decision.

Mr Mehajer is attempting to raise a $17.8m loan to repay the financiers of the Skypoint Towers he has developed in Lidcombe in Sydney’s west.