Former deputy mayor Salim Mehajer found guilty over fake docs

A bankrupt former deputy mayor of a Sydney council has been found guilty of fraud offences after forging the signatures of his ex-lawyer and sister.

Salim Mehajer, 37, forged his former solicitor Zali Burrows' signature on two separate documents, one of which claimed to witness a statutory declaration from his sister Zenha Osman, whose signature he also forged, a NSW District Court jury decided after deliberating for just over four hours.

Mehajer was found guilty of four counts of making or using false documents to obtain a financial advantage on Friday.

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The former deputy mayor of the since-merged Auburn council in Sydney's west rose to notoriety when his lavish wedding celebrations shut down a street in 2015.

Mehajer forged Burrows' signature witnessing his own on an affidavit seeking to replace a court-appointed bankruptcy administrator in March 2020.

He forged her signature again to witness a statutory declaration purporting to be from Osman, claiming $6530 cash seized by police from Mehajer's Kirribilli home belonged to her.

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Osman and Burrows told the court they did not sign the documents, while Mehajer argued he arranged with a third party to have them signed and submitted them believing they genuinely had been.

Mehajer was also found guilty of domestic violence offences earlier this year.

He is in custody on other matters and awaits sentencing in August.

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