Miss Lebanon Australia called rigged after Salim Mehajer’s sister won; Complaints made to NSW Fair Trading

Controversial ex-Auburn Deputy Mayor Salim Mehajer is in the spotlight once again after his sister won the Miss Lebanon Australia on Saturday. The NSW Fair Trading has received complaints that questioned Mariam “Mary” Mehajer’s win.

According to the complaints, Mary, 18, entered the contest weeks before the event and after the deadline for the submission of entries had passed. They also questioned why she was allowed to compete when her brother’s company, Mehajer Bros, was the main sponsor of the event.

Their sister Aiisha, who competed in 2015, was also on the organising committee. She finished fourth but was named Miss Personality Lebanon Australia.

Dr David Carr, one of the judges in the competition, told the Daily Telegraph that Mary did not even make it to his top five choices. However, he admitted that his vote is only one-fifth of the count so Mary perhaps still had a chance with the other judges.

A spokesman for the NSW Fair Trading confirmed to News Corp that it has received complaints regarding Mary’s win at the Miss Lebanon Australia event. It is assessing whether further investigation is needed.

Pageant director Joe Khoury denied there was cheating involved in the contest, telling PS, “We have independent judges that are not from the Lebanese community, their decision is final. The Mehajer family has been a long-time sponsor but it is ridiculous to say they paid for Mary’s success, because the judges were independent.”

Mehajer, who was at the event at the Doltone House in Pyrmont, has dismissed the cheating allegations.

“As the old saying goes, ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ It is unfortunate the first idea that strikes people’s minds are such negative connotations as I can only see positives for the success my younger sister has achieved,” he told the Telegraph.

Mary will compete at the Miss Lebanon International pageant in Beirut next year.

Meanwhile, Mehajer’s marriage to wife Aysha (not to be confused with sister Aiisha) is reportedly coming to an end. The two have not been seen together in public for weeks, though Mehajer recently reposted photos of them together on his Facebook page, probably to dispel rumours.

The 29-year-old former deputy mayor married Aysha in a lavish ceremony in August 2015, causing inconvenience among Lidcombe street residents who faced road blockades for hours.