A patched Finks bikie has told a court he sat in a car watching Snapchat stories out of sight while a rival club member was shot four times in the head and chest.
Ali Hussein gave evidence on Tuesday in a Melbourne Magistrates Court committal hearing against six Finks associates fighting attempted murder charges: Ugur Okanlar, Athar Almatrah, Joseph Opapo, Poiva Sita, Tavita Sua and Sione Hokafonu.
The six are accused of using a honeytrap plot to shoot Mongol bikie Rocco Curra on August 1, 2019, after luring him to a Bulleen address with a fake female Instagram account.
Mr Curra survived the shooting.
His car was sprayed with 12 bullets while he was inside, with four hitting him.
Police allege the plot was retaliation for Mr Hokafonu being shot in the foot by a Mongol member about three weeks earlier.
Mr Hokafonu was the “world leader” of the Finks at the time, Mr Hussein told the court.
After their world leader was shot in the foot, there was a Finks meeting in Oakleigh, where a chat was set up on encrypted messaging app Signal, Mr Hussein said.
Mr Hussein said – while answering questions from Zarah Garde-Wilson, the lawyer for his ex-girlfriend Ms Almatrah – that he met with a group of Finks members in Hampton Park on the night of the shooting.
A convoy of two cars drove to Bulleen, he said.
He was in one car, a black BMW, and Mr Hokafonu was in the other, a silver BMW, he said.
Mr Hussein said the car he was in parked down a side street and he sat on his phone watching Snapchat stories with music playing, while the other car kept going.
He heard gunshots, he said.
The other car returned, was doused and set alight, and they all left in the car he was in, he said.
When asked what he thought was going to happen at Bulleen after luring Mr Curra to a particular house, Mr Hussein said he was “not too sure”.
“Maybe take his car, bash him – not sure,” he said.
He said it “didn’t cross my head” that the plan was to shoot Mr Curra.
Mr Hussein agreed that he owned a handgun but denied that he frequently carried it around with him in a Gucci bum bag.
He denied threatening his then-girlfriend Ms Almatrah with a gun.
Ms Almatrah is accused of setting up the Instagram account of “Sarah Riccardo”, a fake profile.
She is accused of chatting with Mr Curra until he eventually agreed to meet her at a Bulleen address – where he was allegedly shot.
Mr Hussein denied he had told her to set up the account or told her what to say to Mr Curra.
“I didn’t ask her to do anything,” he said.
“If that’s what she’s done then that’s what she’s done.”
He said he paid $50 a week to be in the Finks, attended club nights on Fridays, and lived with his uncle who was the Finks’ sergeant-at-arms, but “could not recall” ever being asked to do anything for the motorcycle gang.
Mr Hokafonu’s lawyer on Monday questioned if Mr Hussein’s version of how the shooting happened was truthful.
The hearing continues Wednesday.
