Police charge Salim Mehajer over threatening Sydney Siege survivor’s father

Police charged Auburn’s deputy mayor Salim Mehajer on Thursday over allegations he intimidated Sydney Siege survivor Joel Herat’s father in September.

The deputy mayor will be presented in court on Nov. 19 for further proceedings. NSW police confirmed that they followed the court notice and charged Mehajer, 29, over intimidation allegations. The court also slammed on him a personal violence order. Police confirmed that they have already issued a court notice for him and he has to face court later this year over the intimidation charge.

Though Mehajer has not been seen after being charged, his wife Aysha was spotted at the deputy mayor’s Sydney Building Construction Pty Ltd in Sefton.

Bruce Herat, Joel Herat’s father, worked as a personal trainer at the Anytime Fitness on Railway Parade in Burwood, NSW. Mehajer reportedly targeted the trainer at the gym on Sep. 16 when Bruce asked the deputy mayor to stop dropping weights on the floor. He allegedly threatened Bruce by saying he would kidnap his children.

“Don’t you know who I am?” Mehajer reportedly confronted Bruce in the car park 20 minutes after their exchange in the gym, according to Seven News.

After the incident, an NSW police spokesperson confirmed to Fairfax Media that there was a complaint received involving two men aged 29 and 52 where several threatening dialogues were exchanged.

Mehajer vowed to sue Bruce and Anytime Fitness for AU$10 million in damages, claiming he wanted to “give hope” to other politicians subjected to harmful allegations.

“I will urge the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to change laws to protect high profile politicians and businessmen from such allegations which can turn their career upside down in a split second,” the deputy mayor said in a statement to Nine News.

Recently, in another interview with Channel Nine, the deputy mayor indicated his wish to one day become a prime minister. In August, Mehajer caught global attention because of his extravagant wedding, involving millions of dollars spent on decorations, transportation and especially unilateral street closures to show his “love” for wife Aysha.

Joel Herat was one of the survivors of the Lindt Cafe terrorist attack in December 2014, in which Man Haron Monis took staff and customers hostage.

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