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Friday, 1 March 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
www.abc.net.au: A man accused of framing his university colleague with a fake terror plot has been assaulted in prison due to the notoriety of his case, a Sydney court has heard.
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Arsalan Khawaja |
Arsalan Khawaja, the brother of Test cricket star Usman Khawaja, was arrested last year for allegedly writing out plans to kill senior politicians in a ploy to frame a fellow University of New South Wales (UNSW) student.
After having his initial bail revoked, his lawyer applied for it again saying the attention on the case and his brother’s fame had led to Khawaja being assaulted in Silverwater prison.
“This case has received some publicity because of his brother’s fame … you know who his brother is, he’s a very prominent sportsperson,” Khawaja’s lawyer Phillip Boulten SC told Paramatta Local Court.
“The matter is of notoriety and in prison, he is finding it difficult to stay there.
“He’s been in custody now for two months, he’s never been in jail before, he has not had an easy time in prison.”
The court heard Khawaja, 39, had been separated from the rest of the prison population since the assault.
“His classification has been changed and he remains by himself in a cell, his day is typically structured, so he is by himself in a cell for 15 or 16 hours a day.”
Boulten proposed two “strict” scenarios should Khawaja be released on bail: one in Sydney with his parents and the other in Western Australia. A $500,000 surety was offered.
However, Magistrate Peter Feather refused bail, saying the conditions would not lower the risk that he might contact witnesses.
The person Khawaja allegedly contacted is known as “Witness B”.
“At the time, [Khawaja] wrote this letter to Witness B saying in one section ‘I will get arrested and put in jail for a year if they knew I spoke to you’,” the Crown prosecutor told the court.
“It’s plain at the time [he] approached this witness, he was aware of the consequences of his actions and knew it could be very serious.”
Khawaja is facing charges of perverting the course of justice, forgery, and breach of bail.
He is not accused of intending to carry out the attack detailed in the notebook but framing his colleague Mohamed Nizamdeen.
The book allegedly contained plans to kill the former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, his then-deputy Julie Bishop and former speaker Bronwyn Bishop, as well as a blueprint to target train stations and Sydney landmarks such as the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
It is understood Khawaja was motivated by jealousy over Mr Nizamdeen’s friendship with a woman and his success at the university.
Khawaja is due to face court again in April. (Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-28/arsalan-khawaja-is-assaulted-in-prison/10856402)
