A Sydney gangland lawyer is the target of a police investigation over suspicions of having evidence of gun possession, drug supply and proceeds of crime offences.
NSW Police issued a warrant for solicitor Abdul Saddik’s devices earlier this year as part of a probe into his links to figures in Sydney’s underworld.
Mr Saddik is challenging the warrant in the Supreme Court because he believes it is an abuse of process for the NSW Police to access his phone and he denies any evidence would be found on the devices.
The lawyer has long represented members of the Alameddine family, who police claim run an organised crime network in Western Sydney.
Mr Saddik (right) with his client Ali Younes outside court. (Four Corners: Nick Wiggins)
According to a summons lodged by Mr Saddik in March, obtained by the ABC, State Crime Command detectives are seeking to access Mr Saddik’s phone as part of investigations into several alleged offences.
Mr Saddik’s summons challenging the warrant said police sought his phone on the grounds it “might disclose the possession of any firearms in this country”.
Text messages between Mr Saddik and three underworld clients may implicate him “in the commission of drug supply offences” in late 2021 to early 2022, the summons says of the police warrant.
Mr Saddik denies there are any images of guns, evidence of drug supply or proceeds of crime offences on the devices, in his challenge to the warrant.
A previous police intelligence report tendered in an unrelated criminal case included an image of the lawyer surrounded by alleged crime figures at a New Year’s Eve party he hosted that year.
Attempts to contact Mr Saddik for comment have been unsuccessful.
Sydney lawyer Abdul Saddik with alleged crime figures at a New Year’s Eve party he hosted in 2021. (Supplied)
Saddik says messages not exempt from ‘legal professional privilege’
Police are also seeking data relating to Mr Saddik’s betting activity at Star Casino on the grounds police suspect he was dealing with the proceeds of crime.
He has not been charged with any criminal offences.
The document said police also sought messages with Alameddine family patriarch Rafat Alameddine, his brothers Hamdi and Rachad and alleged crime boss Masood Zakaria.
The summons tendered to the Supreme Court states the messages were sought over an investigation into perverting the course of justice offences by an unnamed party.
In the court document opposing the warrant, Mr Saddik said there was not any evidence of perverting the course of justice on his phone.
Mr Saddik denied police claims the messages were exempt from “the assertion of legal professional privilege”, adding “including because there are none”.
Rafat Alameddine is currently in Lebanon where he is wanted for murder charges by NSW Police over shootings that took place at the height of Sydney’s gangland feud in 2021.
Police believe he is at the head of the crime clan which waged an underworld war with the Hamzy family four years ago that saw seven people killed over 18 months.
Mr Saddik is asking the Supreme Court to declare the warrant invalid, that his phone be returned and its content not copied and for the NSW Police to pay his costs.
His case will go before a judge later this year for hearing.