Katherine Danks and Henry Budd
The Daily Telegraph
November 18, 2013
A BROTHERS 4 Life associate, who was arrested just before boarding a flight to Germany, has been charged with a shooting outside a Sydney sex club.
Police received a tip-off that Osama Sarwat Toffic, 19, was planning to leave Australia just hours before he was arrested at Sydney International Airport on Saturday night.
It's alleged Toffic was the gunman in the attack on Michael Rooke in the carpark of gay, bisexual and swingers club Aarows in Rydalmere on May 1.
The 52-year-old victim survived the attack after three bullets missed his heart and spine by centimetres and police say he was not linked to a criminal gang.
Toffic, of Auburn, has been charged with several offences including shooting with intent to murder, discharging a firearm with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, assault with intent to rob and the possession of a prohibited firearm.
He has also been charged with stealing a motor vehicle, destroying the car with fire in Granville and stealing a van in Harris Park.
Toffic did not apply for bail in Parramatta Bail Court yesterday and was remanded to appear in Burwood Local Court on Wednesday.
CCTV Footage of shooting
Brothers for Life founder Bassam Hamzy 'used a woman posing as his lawyer to communicate with the outside world'
November 16 2013
BROTHERS 4 Life founder Bassam Hamzy allegedly communicated with the outside world from inside his Supermax prison cell through a woman who posed as his lawyer, Corrective Services authorities believe.
BACKYARD ARMS TRADER FOR BIKIES
The legal secretary was allegedly given access to Hamzy this year but was recently banned from further visits.
Her presence allegedly enabled Hamzy to circumvent the otherwise tightly-controlled provisions placed on detainees at Goulburn Supermax prison that see inmates' food and mail screened.
Authorities believe Hamzy was able to use the legal visits to direct activity by the Brothers 4 Life crime gang.
Having shut down this line of communication, authorities do not believe Hamzy played any role in recent tit-for-tat violence among gang members that last month culminated in the fatal shooting of Hamzy's relative Mahmoud Hamzy at a home in Revesby Heights.
A reputable source also said other individuals given access to Bassam Hamzy under the guise of legal visits had also been banned from seeing him at Goulburn jail.
Although Hamzy's phone calls and correspondence are monitored, legal visits remain privileged, meaning they cannot be monitored and documents cannot be examined.
A department spokeswoman refused to be drawn on the matter when asked if an investigation had been launched.
"We won't comment on a security matter such as this," the spokeswoman said.
A spokeswoman for Attorney-General Greg Smith said he also could not comment.
It is understood an investigation determined Hamzy had been able to disseminate documents and messages through his "legal representatives", including the female secretary.
It is understood a broader investigation concerning prison visitors is still under way.
Hamzy is currently serving a 22-year sentence for murder over the 1998 shooting of Kris Toumazis outside a Darlinghurst nightclub.
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