Salim Mehajer's family business empire cracking under legal strains
Sydney’s most controversial politician’s business empire may be cracking under the strain of repeated legal actions and an unrelenting media storm.
Fairfax Media reports former Auburn deputy mayor and property developer Salim Mehajer’s company is struggling to meet court-ordered payments and has been forced to sell off land.
The revelation comes a month after the now suspended Auburn council reversed decisions favouring Mr Mehajer’s company, costing it an estimated $10 million.
Mr Mehajer shot to prominence last year when his lavish ‘wedding of the century’ celebrations caused widespread outrage in his local community and captured attention nationwide.
He has rarely been out of the news ever since.
Fairfax Media reports a $25,000 court-ordered bill to a crane company has seen few payments three months after it was issued.
After twice missing its 28-day payment deadline, Sydney Property Group has paid out just $1000 from its almost empty bank accounts.
Mr Mehajer is the Sydney Project Group’s only shareholder. His sister Khadijieh is its director after replacing his wife Aysha.
Aysha Mehajer was removed from nine director and secretary roles across the Mehajer family empire this.
It has also been revealed that the company has been forced to borrow under unfavourable terms against holdings on Lidcombe's John Street.
A property on Mary Street in Lidcombe has been listed for sale.
It was this property that led to Mr Mehajer’s suspension from council when he was found not to have declared his interest in the matter. That decision, however, was overturned by the Supreme Court.
The state government later stepped in, standing down the entire Auburn council.
Mr Mehajer has faced scores of legal issues ranging from business disputes, to accusations of driving offences and threats to kidnap a man's children.
An intimidation case, in which he was accused of threatening to kidnap the children of Bruce Herat after a dispute at a gym, was thrown out of court this week when a judge decided there was no reasonable prospect of conviction.