Hamzy,44,has pleaded not guilty to supplying a commercial quantity of drugs,knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime,and hindering the apprehension of a person who committed a serious offence;each offence relating to his dealings from jail involving the alleged supply of methamphetamine between October 2017 and February 2018.
His barrister,Dennis Stewart,told the Downing Centre District Court his client had “on numerous occasions” provided financial assistance to associates for legal matters,and that Hamzy “denied using code language in order to disguise references to drug supply”.
Bassam Hamzy is accused of directing a drug syndicate from his jail cell.Supplied
Rather,Hamzy had a number of “legitimate business projects” including the importation and distribution of “a large quantity of footwear” and “bathroom accessories”,the court was told.
In his opening statement to the court on Monday afternoon,Crown prosecutor Adrian Robertson said the case against Hamzy relies on the evidence of two individuals allegedly involved in the drug operation,who will be known as Witness A and Witness I. Their evidence would be corroborated by intercepted phone calls and text messages,as well as surveillance,Robertson told the court.
Robertson said Hamzy’s alleged activities began in late 2017,when he rang Witness I,who had recently been recruited to Hamzy’s Brothers 4 Life gang,from a contraband mobile phone.
On that call,it’s alleged Hamzy confirmed that Witness I was a methamphetamine supplier,and “speaking carefully”,directing him to supply the drug to a person on the outside – and explaining that when communicating they would refer to the “barrister” and price per ounce as multiples of $3500.
After that,Robertson said,the Crown alleges Hamzy’s solicitor Martin Churchill texted the phone number for the outside drug dealer to Witness I,and Witness I subsequently began making arrangements to supply the methamphetamine.
Robertson said there were five occasions when methamphetamine was supplied in two or four ounce packages over the course of five months,coming to an aggregate of 16 ounces,or about 450 grams.
He said the jury can expect the two unidentified witnesses to explain the meaning of coded messages sent to and from Churchill,such as:“I’ll catch up with B for the solicitor fees,another 7000” and “Money available for the barrister”.
It will be alleged that each ounce of methamphetamine was represented in the messages as $3500,while the “barrister” receiving the money was actually the dealer,he told the jury.
Stewart said it would be the defence case that the witnesses relied on by the Crown,in particular Witness I,“made up the existence of this alleged arrangement with the accused in order to get the substantial benefit that he obtained” after being arrested for commercial drug supply while on parole for the same offence.
Hamzy had been communicating with Witness I regarding his legitimate businesses interests,Stewart said.
“The accused was not a participant in the drug supply,and no monies paid were to his knowledge the proceeds of any drug supply.”
The trial continues.
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