Friends and family of a rapper alleged to be a senior figure of the Alameddine crime syndicate have put up $1.8 million to help secure the accused gangster's freedom.
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Ali Younes, also known by his rapper alias Ay Huncho, faced the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday for a second attempt at bail on a kidnapping charge laid in March.
The 27-year-old, who has more than 150,000 followers across multiple social media accounts, is accused of being part of a group that "ambushed" a person who had been lured to a drug house at Granville, in Sydney's west.
It is alleged the victim was dragged into a garage and then assaulted, leaving them unconscious and with serious injuries.
Younes and his co-accused can allegedly be heard on an audio recording openly discussing their involvement in the purported kidnapping and laughing about it.
The alleged victim went to hospital but did not co-operate with police, the court heard.
Younes offered a $500,000 surety at a previous bail hearing, but the application was denied on the grounds that he was a flight risk.
But Justice Stephen Campbell suggested that risk was mitigated by the "very substantial" increase to $1.8 million, which was due to be paid by the rapper's mother and his manager.
The judge acknowledged Younes presented some ongoing danger to the community via "criminal associations", but he said a "very strong suite" of bail conditions mitigated that risk.
Younes had identified himself as a member of the Alameddine gang to prison authorities while on remand for previous charges on which he was eventually cleared, the court heard.
Justice Campbell granted bail with lengthy conditions attached, including electronic monitoring, daily reporting to police, a curfew and an order to not contact his co-accused, along with the $1.8 million surety.
"Notwithstanding his criminal associations and the ability they may have to facilitate a person leaving the country, I am not of the view (Younes), who apparently is supporting his mother's household, would put her home at risk by failing to appear," the judge said.
Younes was hit with a fresh affray charge on Wednesday after what his lawyer referred to as a "fracas" in Parklea prison in June.
Justice Campbell said the alleged fistfight was with a man said to be associated with a different organised crime network.
He was denied bail on that affray charge, a decision Younes's lawyer described as "outrageous" while suggesting it was an attempt to thwart his release on the kidnapping charge.
Younes is due to appear at Parramatta Local Court later on Tuesday in relation to that charge.
Australian Associated Press
