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Cash allegedly intended for the Islamic State terrorist group was located by the mother of a rollover witness as she went to wash his clothes, a Sydney court has heard.
Oarjan Azari and Ali Al-Talebi are accused of generating $ six,000 obtainable to the Islamic State group in two separate income transfers final year.
It is alleged they utilized the witness providing proof against them to do the transfers via Western Union outlets at Parramatta and Auburn.
He was referred to as a rollover witness in court because he had previously worked with the men and was now testifying against them. He will not face prosecution.
A committal hearing was told this man, who cannot be identified, tried to make a third transfer of $ 9,000, but pulled out due to the fact he was unsure about costs that have been to be charged.
The court heard the cash was later found by his mother in the pocket of his shorts.
“Laundering cash,” Magistrate Peter Miszalski stated.
Prosecutor Peter Neil SC responded: “Practically actually.”
The court heard the witness was younger than Azari and Al-Talebi, and was below their influence.
Mr Neil said the goal of the transfers was “to end up supporting Islamic State activities in Syria and Iraq”.
Up to 7,000 pages of secretly recorded phone conversations were tendered as proof to the court.
Appearing for Azari, barrister Steven Boland mentioned there was no proof the funds had been “ever received by any terrorist organisation”.
He said there was a lot of evidence suggesting the opposite.
The prosecution said this was irrelevant.
“Whether they got their hands on it or not is another question,” Mr Neil said.
The witness is expected to give further evidence on Wednesday.
Topics: terrorism, courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, parramatta-2150, nsw, australia, auburn-2144