Salim Mehajer allegedly impersonated cop in ‘forged’ email to himself

NEW claims have emerged that Salim Mehajer pretended to be a detective in a “forged” email sent in relation to investigations into a car crash he was involved in.

At Mehajer’s failed bail application hearing on Tuesday, the email addressed “Hi Salim” was read aloud before Justice Robert Hulme.

The email was allegedly discovered by Detective Sergeant Matt Taylor earlier this year while he was investigating the car crash allegedly staged last October.

The email is still under investigation and no charges have been laid against Mehajer.

Purporting to be from Detective Taylor, the message begins with “Hi Salim” and allegedly says: “We are not inspecting the collision. The accident was given the all-clear by the NRMA.

“Considering you have a perfect tract [sic] record with Mercedes Australia service, there should not be a long turnaround time in returning your vehicle.”

After the letter was read out, Mehajer told the court on Tuesday, “I still maintain my innocence for that.”

Mehajer was charged in January over the allegedly staged crash with perverting the course of justice and conspiring to cheat and defraud an insurance company.

He has denied all charges, and previously has been granted bail on those charges.

This week he applied for bail to be able to fight an appeal over unrelated charges of electoral fraud, but was knocked back by Justice Hulme.

Justice Hulme said Mehajer, 32, had an “arrogant disregard for the laws of this state and there is a very significant prospect that if granted bail … he will breach it”.

Mehajer was jailed for a minimum 11 month and maximum 21 months after being convicted in June.

In June, a magistrate found Mehajer guilty of 77 charges related to a joint criminal enterprise with his sister, Fatima, over the 2012 Auburn Council election when he was voted in as deputy mayor.

Justice Hulme said if released into the community, Mehajer could commit a breach and “he will blame others for the breach and deflect responsibility from himself”.

The denial of the release application comes a day after NSW Police won the right to photograph tattoos on Salim Mehajer’s legs.

News.com.au exclusively revealed that detectives will travel down to Cooma Correctional Centre this week to take the photographs in a bid to match them to CCTV images.

A police affidavit — also from Detective Sergeant Matt Young — reveals that investigators have CCTV footage of a person at a meeting “where $1250 is exchanged”, which shows “a large leg tattoo the length of the entire leg”.

Detective Taylor alleges in the affidavit the cash swap meeting is connected with a car crash Mehajer is charged with staging last October to avoid a court hearing.

Mehajer was involved in the car crash at Lidcombe in western Sydney on the day he was due in court over the assault of a taxi driver at Star City casino, for which he has been convicted.

Detective Taylor alleged “that this collision was a planned and stage act to prevent (Mehajer) from attending court on the day”.

He also alleged the collision involved “at least seven people” in a conspiracy to defraud an insurance company of $156,780.

Mehajer was charged with perverting the course of justice over the allegedly faked crash and conspiring to cheat and defraud, and has denied the charges.