Yoni Bashan and James Hooper
The Sunday Telegraph
HIGH-profile deputy mayor Salim Mehajer has been charged with forging documents to rig the 2012 Auburn Council ballot that got him elected.
An Australian Federal Police investigation has also charged Mehajer’s sister Fatima, his brother-in-law Jamal Elkheir and five other associates and schoolfriends who ran as candidates in the council poll.
The Mehajer siblings are accused of forging documents, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The rest of the group is charged with falsifying their candidate information sheets to claim they resided at addresses in Auburn, making them eligible to run.
The deputy mayor first came to the attention of the wider public earlier this year when his wedding, featuring helicopters, sports cars and a military flyover, all being filmed by a professional movie crew, brought parts of Sydney to a standstill.
However, the AFP has been watching Mehajer since 2012, when officials at the Australian Electoral Commission noticed a large number of online and postal applications in the weeks leading up to the poll from people requesting to change their enrolment address to Auburn Council’s first ward, where he was standing as a candidate.
Fatima Mehajer was running as a candidate in the second ward at the election on September 9.
About two dozen applications were processed before inconsistencies were noticed and suspicions raised.
Further checks allegedly revealed that several dozen of the online applications had been submitted from a computer located at the Mehajer family’s home and another at their business address.
When AFP officers later raided Mehajer’s property at Lidcombe they located a printer that appeared to have the same security identifier as some posted application forms.
Phones were also seized that revealed text messages allegedly relating to the suspicious applications sent to the AEC.
A second part of the investigation focused on Mehajer’s close associates, who ran with him and his sister as group independent candidates.
Scrutiny of their candidate information sheets revealed they had been falsified to say they lived in Auburn, allowing them to run in the ballot as part of a group, police claim.
Mehajer’s group of six contained four people now charged as part of the investigation. His sister’s group of five contained two now charged.
As the head candidates of their respective groups, both Mehajer and his sister were given a box “above the line” on the ballot paper, putting them in a favourable position to earn votes. The vast majority of voters at that year’s council election — 77 per cent — voted by ticking a box above the line, according to AEC data.
While Fatima Mehajer was unsuccessful, her brother was elected to the fifth and final spot on council by more than 500 votes.
The brief of evidence for the investigation was served on the DPP for assessment in February, several months before Mehajer shot to notoriety with his lavish wedding.
The investigation, which has been running since August 2012, culminated with court notices being served on all eight people on December 9 and 10.
Is the Net Closing on Salim Mehajer ?
The others have been named as Jamal Elkheir, Fatima Kandil, Shi Lao, Abhinav Mehta, Arjun Mehta and Ahmad Trad.
“All eight are scheduled to appear in the Downing Centre on 2nd February,” an AFP spokeswoman said.
The Mehajers have each been charged with 76 counts of using forged documents and one each of using false or misleading documents.
The remaining six people have been charged with one count each of using false or misleading documents.
Mehajer responded to the allegations last night on behalf of his sister and his brother-in-law, saying the charges were false and motivated by a hidden agenda.
“Allegations will continue to grow in anticipation to tarnish us however, this will not in any way, shape or form, threaten us to step down,” he said.
“They are false and misleading with hidden agendas to bring us down. We shall remain focused on our roles and responsibilities.”
THE CHARGES
Eleven candidates ran across two groups in Auburn Council’s first and second ward. Group H was led by Salim Mehajer and had a total of six candidates running in the first ward.
Group G was led by Fatima Mehajer and had a total of five candidates running in the second ward.
Of these 11 candidates, eight were closely known to each other and have each been charged by the AFP.
Salim Mehajer
Facing charges of using forged documents to commit electoral fraud and producing false or misleading documents. Ran as lead candidate for Group H (first ward) in 2012 Auburn Council elections.
Fatima Mehajer
Salim’s sister. Ran as lead candidate for Group G (second ward) in 2012 Auburn Council election. She is facing the same charges as her brother.
Fatima Kandil
Salim’s school friend. Ran in Group H with Salim. Charged with producing false or misleading document.
Jamal Elkheir
Fatima’s husband, who ran beneath her in Group G in the 2012 Auburn Council election. He is Charged with producing false or misleading document.
Ahmad Trad
Fatima Mehajer’s ex-partner. Ran in Group H with Salim. Charged with producing false or misleading document.
Abhinav Mehta
Ran in Group G with Fatima. Charged with producing false or misleading document.
Arjun Mehta
Ran in Group H with Salim. Charged with producing false or misleading document.
Shi Lao
Salim’s school friend. Ran in Group H with Salim. Charged with producing false or misleading document.
