Mehajer’s right hand man arrested over underworld murder

Salim Mehajer’s right hand man has been arrested over the execution-style murder of Sydney underworld figure Kemel Barakat.

Salim Mehajer’s right hand man — and the face of his new wedding planning company — has been arrested over the execution-style murder of Sydney underworld figure Kemel Barakat earlier this year.

Ahmed Jaghbir, 28, was arrested this morning at his Guildford home as police simultaneously raided that property and the nearby Frances Street Lidcombe mansion owned by Mr Mehajer, the embattled property developer and former deputy mayor of Auburn in Sydney’s west.

Ahmed Jaghbir, pictured with Salim Mehajer, has arrested in connection with the murder of Kemel Barakat. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Jaghbir is the sole director of Mehajer Wedding & Event Planning — created in September — and a director of Mr Mehajer’s building strata management companies Oncall Strata Services and Skypoint Strata Services.

Mr Mehajer is the 100 per cent owner of Mehajer Wedding & Event Planning but he is not permitted to hold the position of “director” because he has been banned from managing corporations for three years.

Last month Mr Mehajer posted to social media that the wedding planning company, his “new business”, was “now finally up and running”.

Mr Mehajer’s own 2015 wedding, which drew attention for its conspicuous opulence and included four helicopters, a jet flyover, scores of motorcycles and around $50 million worth of supercars, drew the media spotlight to his business and property development activities.

Spruiking his new wedding business, he wrote that his company “will work with your budget”.

“We will...beat any prices to make your next event or ceremony memorable,” he wrote.

The posts were subsequently removed from social media after questions were raised regarding Mr Mehajer’s legal ability to manage companies.

Former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer returns home as police continue to raid his home in Lidcombe. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins.

Mr Brakat was executed at about 2.30am on March 10 while lying in bed at his harbourfront home in Sydney’s Mortlake.

He was found with more than 10 gunshot wounds to his chest and stomach.

Police had earlier released CCTV footage of four masked men entering the property on the night of the murder.

The Australian is not suggesting Mr Mehajer was involved in Mr Barakat’s murder.

Mr Jaghbir has been charged with murder, being an accessory before the fact to murder, participating in a criminal group and contributing to criminal activity.

In court documents, Homicide police allege Mr Jaghbir did “participate in a criminal group, knowing it is a criminal group, and knowing or being reckless as to whether his participation in that group contributes to the occurrence of any criminal behaviour”.

He is accused of all three charges between 2.30 and 2.36am on Friday, March 10 — the day Barakat was murdered.

Mr Jaghbir’s lawyers, Mahmoud Abbas and Omar Sada, did not apply for bail on his behalf and it was formally refused.

Outside court, Mr Abbas said his client would be defending the charges.

“He vehemently denies the allegations,” he said.

Mr Jaghbir’s case will next appear in court on November 23.

Former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer reverses his BMW Z4 out of the underground carpark at his home as New South Wales Police continue to raid his home in Lidcombe, Sydney. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins.