Vic man to stand trial for funding terror

A Melbourne pizza shop worker accused of sending $12,000 to a supporter of a terrorist organisation has been committed to stand trial.

Hassan El Sabsabi

A Melbourne man will stand trial after allegedly sending money to a terrorist organisation. (AAP)

A Melbourne man accused of sending money to fund terror activities wanted to "do jihad" but couldn't fight with his own body at the time, court documents allege.

Hassan El Sabsabi, 24, is accused of paying $12,000 in seven instalments to fund travel to Syria and Turkey for a person overseas so this person could join rebel faction Jabhat al-Nusra.

Jabhat al-Nusra was listed as a terrorist organisation by the federal government on June 28, 2013.

Police allege that in May 2013 El Sabsabi, a pizza shop worker, had a conversation with the person via Facebook in which he said: "I told my fiance (sic) I wanna do jihad".

The following month the person asked El Sabsabi for financial support to "go on vocation", according to a prosecution summary tendered in the Melbourne Magistrates Court.

He went on to say he was searching for the price of a ticket to Turkey, where he wanted to go for "a vacoation".

On June 18, 2013, El Sabsabi said "Not able to fight with my body ATM akhi", according to the summary.

He is alleged to have made the first of seven money transfers on June 24.

In July ,the man wrote to El Sabsabi saying, "my beloved brother I received your support", court documents show.

Defence lawyer Stewart Bayles told a committal hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates court that Facebook conversations obtained by the Australian Federal Police between El Sabsabi and the suspected terrorist do not prove how the money was spent.

Mr Bayles said it also did not prove whether the overseas contact was affiliated with terrorists.

He asked why the AFP's counter-terrorism team did not bring El Sabsabi in earlier to question him.

El Sabsabi was arrested in September 2014 after being under surveillance since February.

AFP agent Keith O'Toole told the court police were trying to establish El Sabsabi's link to the terrorist group.

El Sabsabi, of Seabrook, has been committed to stand trial on seven counts of intentionally making funds available to a terrorist organisation.


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Source: AAP


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