Yoni Bashan
The Daily Telegraph
December 5,2013
COUNTER-terrorism officers have charged a figurehead of last year's Muslim riots and infamous Sharia "whipping" case over an attempted ATM ram-raid in Sydney's north.
Wassim Fayad, 46, one of two head spokesmen during the riots, was arrested at 7.30am last Friday at Auburn and charged over the failed ram-raid involving at least two other men at North Ryde on May 15.
The investigation, kept under wraps until now, has been continuing for several months, running at the same time as another case with the Joint-Counter Terrorism Team examining a syndicate sending young Australian Muslims to fight in the Syrian civil war. Police also have been investigating Fayad's activities to see whether he has any connection with the Syrian syndicate.
While the ATM attack would normally be left with local authorities, counter terror police are understood to have led the investigation because of their interest in how the alleged assailants had planned to spend the proceeds of the crime.
SYDNEY MEN 'SENT AUSSIES TO FIGHT IN SYRIA'
In 2011, Fayad was one of two central leaders at the infamous riots in Sydney's CBD though he worked with police and made public statements to try to quell the angry crowd.
Earlier that year he told The Sunday Telegraph after the death of Osama bin Laden that the 9/11 mastermind "died a martyr".
Fayad is presently on bail, a court heard last week, awaiting the outcome of an appeal against a two-year sentence he received for his role in whipping a Muslim convert who confessed to drinking alcohol and taking drugs in 2011.
The new charge, laid by the Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command, is over the aggravated break and enter on a shopping centre at Waterloo Rd, North Ryde.
The incident involved a four-wheel drive and a van driven into the shopping centre about 4am. Police will allege the four-wheel drive was used to ram two ATMs before Fayad and at least two others allegedly tried to access the cash inside. They left empty-handed.
Fayad was also charged last week by the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad with being an accessory after the fact in an unrelated attempt to murder case - he appeared in court on both charges.
That accessory charge was laid following an investigation into the attempted murder of a man outside the Aarows sex club at Rydalmere, on May 1, two weeks before the alleged ATM attack.
Several other men have been charged over the shooting. This includes known-radical Milad Bin Ahmad-Shah al-Ahmadzai, 23, who was charged with numerous offences over the incident, the most serious being shoot with intent to murder.
Another man, Osama Sarwat Toffic, 23, also faces a series of charges including shoot with intent to murder.
Fayad's accessory charges allegedly stems from providing Toffic with assistance to leave Australia on November 16, police will allege.
Toffic was arrested at Sydney airport about to board a flight to Germany, en route to Istanbul, Turkey.
It was revealed yesterday the syndicate sending individuals to Syria were helping them enter the country via Turkey.
NSW Police confirmed officers with the Joint Counter-Terror team laid the charges in relation to the attempted robbery.
Police are continuing to probe links between the men and others who have been radicalised in the community.
An associate of al-Ahmadzai, Mirwaice Rahemi, 23, pleaded guilty this year to conspiracy to commit an armed robbery on a cash-in-transit van at Cecil Hills on September 28, 2011.
Rahemi was photographed outside the Downing Centre Local Court in June 2011 supporting Muslim woman Carnita Matthews, who in 2010 claimed police tried to rip off her burqa but was later found guilty of making a false statement. The charge was subsequently overturned on appeal.
Her husband, Hamdi Alqudsi, 39, was on Tuesday charged with being the principal of the syndicate sending Australians to Syria.
More than 150 Muslims turned out last night to a meeting to discuss the arrests of two men who are alleged to have been helping young men travel to Syria to fight alongside al-Qaeda.
Several speakers at the meeting - organised by Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia - condemned the arrests, saying they were unjustified and that authorities had been unable to stop the "tide" of people travelling to Syria to fight.
Group representative Uthman Bader said the Australian government was supporting the Assad regime in Syria and `"secula" elements of the opposition armed forces.
``We shouldn't be surprised. The Australian government has supported … despots and tyrants in the Muslim world," Mr Bader said.
He said it was hypocritical to allow Australian-Israeli citizens to fight overseas with the Israeli Defence Force, and for no action to be taken against Muslims who fought against the Russians in Afghanistan.
Speakers also advocated establishing a Muslimstate, or caliphate.
RADICAL WILL KEEP PENSION UNTIL HIS TERROR CASE IS FINISHED
Clementine Cuneo
AN investigation has been launched into a radical Australian Muslim receiving a disability pension while allegedly helping to finance young men to travel to Syria and fight alongside al-Qaeda.
The Daily Telegraph yesterday reported Hamdi Alqudsi, 39, was accused of being the mastermind behind a network which recruited young Australian men and sent them to Syria to fight with terrorists.
Human Services Minister Marise Payne yesterday said a "review" would be undertaken after it was revealed Alqudsi was receiving a pension at the same time he was alleged to have had access to funds to help finance several overseas trips.
"I have asked my department to review the information outlined in the media relating to this matter," Ms Payne said. But it is understood Alqudsi will continue to receive his pension, despite the charges, until there is an outcome in the court matter.
Alqudsi and a co-accused Amin Iman Mohammed, 23, were arrested on Tuesday by Joint Counter Terrorism detectives, and charged with offences relating to assisting someone to travel abroad, or travelling abroad, to engage in hostile activities. In applying for bail, Bankstown Local Court was told Alqudsi was a disabled pensioner with little more than $500 to post as bail. Late yesterday, Alqudsi was released from jail after raising $10,000 for bail.
His co-accused Mohammad remains in prison, unable to raise the bail money.
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