Salim Mehajer charged over alleged assault of Seven News reporter

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Salim Mehajer charged over alleged assault of Seven News reporter

By Lisa Visentin and Josh Dye
Updated

Former deputy mayor of Auburn council Salim Mehajer has been charged with assaulting a Seven News reporter, after earlier allegedly assaulting a taxi driver outside The Star casino in the early hours of Sunday.

Mr Mehajer allegedly assaulted the taxi driver and stole his eftpos machine and mobile phone as he was getting out of the taxi about 4.30am on Sunday.

Police said the taxi driver, a 38-year-old man, received an injury to the nose during the incident.

Mr Mehajer was arrested at 5.10am at the intersection of William and Bourke streets in Darlinghurst, and taken to Sydney City Police Station on Day Street in Sydney's CBD.

Salim Mehajer leaving the police station on Sunday afternoon.

Salim Mehajer leaving the police station on Sunday afternoon.Credit: Ben Rushton

Mr Mehajer, 30, walked out of the police station shortly after midday, charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and larceny.

But his exit from the police station didn't go to plan. With his phone clasped to his ear, Mr Mehajer tried to make a swift departure, jumping into a waiting taxi, which had been called to collect him.

However, the taxi driver aborted the fare, amid an assembling media scrum.

Mr Mehajer was then ordered out of the taxi by a police officer.

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As he was leaving the station, Salim Mehajer was asked by police to leave the taxi .

As he was leaving the station, Salim Mehajer was asked by police to leave the taxi .Credit: Ben Rushton

A short time later, he was collected from the police station by a friend driving a white Porsche.

As Mr Mehajer got in the driver's seat of the Porsche, a Seven reporter stuck a microphone in the car, preventing him from closing the door.

Police allege Mr Mehajer used the driver's door of the car to assault the woman, causing an injury to her hand, before driving away.

He was charged on Sunday night with assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to that incident.

A spokeswoman for NSW Police said police would forensically examine the first taxi driver's phone and eftpos machine "to determine any links" to the original incident.

Mr Mehajer was granted conditional bail to appear before Downing Centre Local Court on April 26.

The alleged incidents are Mr Mehajer's latest brush with the law, after he was catapulted into the public sphere with his lavish wedding to his since-estranged wife, Aysha, in August 2015.

The ceremony, which featured a fleet of helicopters, a cavalcade of luxury sports cars, a jet flyover and bikies lining the street, shut down Frances Street in Lidcombe, and resulted in Mr Mehajer being fined $220 by his own council for failing to get the proper authorisation to close the street.

Since then, Mr Mehajer has repeatedly fronted NSW courts. On one particularly busy day in November 2015, he had three separate matters before different courts simultaneously.

However, his most serious legal woes relate to charges of electoral fraud, which carry a 10-year jail sentence, and are still unfolding in Downing Centre Local Court.

During his last court appearance in November, prosecutors foreshadowed further charges might be laid in connection with his alleged rigging of the 2012 Auburn City Council ballot.

He has already been charged with more than 100 offences concerning the matter, including using forged documents, making false statements and giving false or misleading information.

His sister Fatima has also been charged with a string of similar offences.

In January 2016, Mr Mehajer was suspended from Auburn council for four months for failing to disclose his financial interest in a property when voting on changes that added $1 million to its value. Two weeks later, the entire Auburn council elected body was sacked by then-local government minister Paul Toole, who ordered a public inquiry into the council.

In March, the inquiry's finding were referred to the Independent Commission Against Corruption for further investigation.

Mr Mehajer has also had a string of driving-related infractions, including a fine for driving an unregistered Ferrari.

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He settled a separate incident involving his Ferrari for $1.7 million after his white 612 Scaglietti mounted the footpath and struck Nhu Hua, then 68, and her daughter-in-law Tuyet La, 40, in Burwood.

He was back in court in January when he was sued for $25,500 by a cleaner who claimed Mr Mehajer had not paid him for cleaning an apartment block on John Street, Lidcombe.

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