This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2015/may/26/sydney-siege-inquest-hears-from-monis-employers-and-immigration-rolling-report
The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Sydney siege inquest: gunman complained of being 'picked on' at airports – rolling report | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 10.47am AEST01:47 | |
| Arguedas said Monis complained about being “picked” for security searches at airports. He requested a letter be sent to customs about it. | |
| He believed that he was being picked on [by customs officials]. That it wasn’t a random search, it was a targeted search. | |
| Arguedas was uncomfortable with how Monis wanted the letter to be worded to customs. | |
| The inquest has heard Monis flew to New Zealand one morning and came back on the same afternoon in an effort to “bamboozle” customs. | |
| Updated at 10.51am AEST | |
| 10.43am AEST01:43 | |
| Franklin Arguedas, a solicitor for Monis in relation to his immigration application and customs complaints, has taken the stand. | |
| He took on Monis as a client in 2004 and says his office had difficulty getting Monis to show identification and give his address. | |
| Monis told Arguedas that he moved around a lot and couldn’t provide an address. He said the reason he changed his name so much was that he “previously was a very high officer of the Iranian government”. | |
| He went on to elaborate that he would be taken out of the country by helicopter to a different nation without a passport. Either the American government or the Australian government would lift him from I’m assuming here and he would be giving information [to those governments]. | |
| Monis also tried to get Arguedas to take part in a scheme that he said would earn Monis between $1m and $2m. | |
| He said he knew the whereabouts of an individual wanted by Israel but that he could not be the frontman, he hd to work behind me because of his identity again...he wanted me to arrange something, how the ransom would be paid, and that we would share that amount of money... I thought he was harmless, I thought maybe he would have a scheme like these Nigerian emails people get from time to time. The other thought was “I don’t want to get involved in this type of thing..it’s not worth my risk”. | |
| Arguedas said he had lunch with Monis two to three times a month for 18 months. He said he once tried to meet Monis in Lakemba but Monis did not want to go there. At the time Monis told Arguedas he was an Ayatollah and would dress in Muslim clerical clothing. | |
| 10.30am AEST01:30 | |
| Hassan Zoabi, a former boss of Man Haron Monis, is continuing his evidence. He gave a reference for Monis in the 1990s saying Monis was a “pleasant individual”. | |
| Zoabi had worked with Monis for two years and says he did not hesitate to provide the reference which Monis said was to renew his security licence. | |
| The handwritten reference said Monis was “very honest and trustworthy... a pleasant individual who would go out of his way to help others”. | |
| Zoabi says Monis would ask lots of questions about Australia’s legal system and how the government worked. | |
| He was always thinking...he very rarely [laughed or joked], I would really have to go out of my way and say a good joke for him to crack a smile. | |
| Zoabi did not see Monis again after leaving his job in 1999. He said when he saw footage of him during the Sydney siege he thought he was him but because Monis was using a different name in the 1990s Zoabi thought he was just “being crazy”. | |
| 10.21am AEST01:21 | 10.21am AEST01:21 |
| Hassan Zoabi has taken the stand. He is currently the centre manager for shopping centre in Sydney area and in 1997 was a caretaker manager for another shopping centre. | Hassan Zoabi has taken the stand. He is currently the centre manager for shopping centre in Sydney area and in 1997 was a caretaker manager for another shopping centre. |
| It was in 1997 that he met Man Haron Monis. Zoabi needed to hire what’s known as a “static guard”, someone who observes what’s going on and wears a uniform. As Zoabi put it “someone the public can see”. | It was in 1997 that he met Man Haron Monis. Zoabi needed to hire what’s known as a “static guard”, someone who observes what’s going on and wears a uniform. As Zoabi put it “someone the public can see”. |
| Zoabi had daily contact with Monis over two years and had many conversations. Zoabi says Monis’ manners were “impeccable”. On what Monis would tell Zoabi: | Zoabi had daily contact with Monis over two years and had many conversations. Zoabi says Monis’ manners were “impeccable”. On what Monis would tell Zoabi: |
| That he was from Iran and that he was well connected, that he was related to people that were rulers in Iran at the time. He said he was the son-in-law of one of them. He would say Iran is going to make headlines on the world stage soon. | That he was from Iran and that he was well connected, that he was related to people that were rulers in Iran at the time. He said he was the son-in-law of one of them. He would say Iran is going to make headlines on the world stage soon. |
| Zoabi says Monis did not specify how Iran was going to make headlines. | Zoabi says Monis did not specify how Iran was going to make headlines. |
| Monis initially tried to discuss religion but then realised Zoabi wasn’t interested in that topic. | Monis initially tried to discuss religion but then realised Zoabi wasn’t interested in that topic. |
| He did mention he was attached to the clergy in Iran and that he prayed five times a day. The fact he had a beard at the time indicated to me that he was religious. | He did mention he was attached to the clergy in Iran and that he prayed five times a day. The fact he had a beard at the time indicated to me that he was religious. |
| Zoabi says he knew Monis was a Shia Muslim and Zoabi himself is a Sunni, but back then “it was not an issue”, Zoabi says “at the time a Muslim was a Muslim”. | Zoabi says he knew Monis was a Shia Muslim and Zoabi himself is a Sunni, but back then “it was not an issue”, Zoabi says “at the time a Muslim was a Muslim”. |
| Zoabi says Monis was clean, tidy, punctual and well mannered. | Zoabi says Monis was clean, tidy, punctual and well mannered. |
| He was impeccable, he did it in a polite manner. He had that thing about him you knew he was polite. He was softly spoken, he did his job very well. | He was impeccable, he did it in a polite manner. He had that thing about him you knew he was polite. He was softly spoken, he did his job very well. |
| Zoabi says he knew Monis was married in Iran but he did not know he had any children. | Zoabi says he knew Monis was married in Iran but he did not know he had any children. |
| 10.05am AEST01:05 | 10.05am AEST01:05 |
| I have some details on some of the witnesses we will be hearing from today: | I have some details on some of the witnesses we will be hearing from today: |
| Hassan Zoabi - he was a referee for Monis for security guard work in 1999. | Hassan Zoabi - he was a referee for Monis for security guard work in 1999. |
| Franklin Arguedas - solicitor for Monis in relation to immigration application and customs complaint. | Franklin Arguedas - solicitor for Monis in relation to immigration application and customs complaint. |
| John Valastro - director of passenger branch of Australian customs and border protection service who dealt with Monis complaints about customs in 2005. | John Valastro - director of passenger branch of Australian customs and border protection service who dealt with Monis complaints about customs in 2005. |
| Robert Mills - appearing for Salvation Army to speak about Monis community service between april 2013 and april 2014. | Robert Mills - appearing for Salvation Army to speak about Monis community service between april 2013 and april 2014. |
| Catherine Wood - legal and governance manager for Amnesty International, she saw Monis in August 2010. | Catherine Wood - legal and governance manager for Amnesty International, she saw Monis in August 2010. |
| 10.00am AEST01:00 | 10.00am AEST01:00 |
| Good morning, you join us for the second day of the latest segment of the coronial inquest into the deaths of Sydney siege hostages Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson and gunman Man Haron Monis (phew, take a breath after that sentence). | Good morning, you join us for the second day of the latest segment of the coronial inquest into the deaths of Sydney siege hostages Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson and gunman Man Haron Monis (phew, take a breath after that sentence). |
| This segment is focused on Monis, his life and what his possible motivations for the siege were. This also comes back to two of the fundamental questions - could the siege have been prevented? And, was it a terrorist attack? | This segment is focused on Monis, his life and what his possible motivations for the siege were. This also comes back to two of the fundamental questions - could the siege have been prevented? And, was it a terrorist attack? |
| The inquest is overseen by coroner Michael Barnes and yesterday counsel assisting Jeremy Gormly, SC, and junior counsel assisting, Sophie Callan, delivered their opening statement. | The inquest is overseen by coroner Michael Barnes and yesterday counsel assisting Jeremy Gormly, SC, and junior counsel assisting, Sophie Callan, delivered their opening statement. |
| We learned Monis briefly tried to join the bikie gang the Rebels - members labelled him “weird” - and he claimed he was an Iranian spy when seeking asylum in Australia in 1996. You can read Michael Safi’s report on yesterday’s hearing here. | We learned Monis briefly tried to join the bikie gang the Rebels - members labelled him “weird” - and he claimed he was an Iranian spy when seeking asylum in Australia in 1996. You can read Michael Safi’s report on yesterday’s hearing here. |
| Safi and I have also recorded a brief (10 minute) podcast on the first day, and we’ll be aiming to do that each day. It is a conversation about what struck us about evidence on the day, where the inquest may be heading and the questions raised. It’s called Three Down, and you can find it here. I’m told it also might be up on iTunes soon. | Safi and I have also recorded a brief (10 minute) podcast on the first day, and we’ll be aiming to do that each day. It is a conversation about what struck us about evidence on the day, where the inquest may be heading and the questions raised. It’s called Three Down, and you can find it here. I’m told it also might be up on iTunes soon. |
| Today we are set to hear from six witnesses, primarily immigration officials who dealt with Monis and people who worked with him in his early years in Australia. | Today we are set to hear from six witnesses, primarily immigration officials who dealt with Monis and people who worked with him in his early years in Australia. |