Man who faked marriage denies election death threats
A chicken shop owner has denied threatening to kill a federal election candidate as questions are raised about why the man remains in Australia.
Over a decade ago, Musher Saleh had his permanent residency revoked after immigration officials uncovered false marriage claims.
The 43-year-old is now accused of sending death threats to Australian Migrants candidate Jamal Daoud at his Liverpool office in Sydney's southwest on May 1 and 2.
The Merrylands man appeared before Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday where he pleaded not guilty to one count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend.
"I didn't," he told reporters outside court when asked whether he had made death threats.
"I never do that."
Mr Daoud told AAP that his office had been called repeatedly by someone speaking in Arabic in the final days of the election.
The migration agent claimed Saleh told him something like "I know where you are, I will come and get you and I will show you what I can do to you".
"In Arabic, 'I will get you' in this way - it is a death threat," Mr Daoud told AAP.
He said he would send a letter to Immigration Minister Tony Burke to see why Saleh still remained in Australia despite his past.
Entering Australia on a business visa in 2001, Saleh was granted permanent residency in May 2013, according to a 2018 decision from the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
The Palestinian man had his permanent residency revoked in August 2017 after immigration officials learned he had supplied false details about a claimed ongoing marriage to an Australian citizen.
Two months later, he purchased a fried chicken shop in Auburn in Sydney's west and was promoting it on social media until 2024.
Saleh failed to notify immigration that his marriage had broken down before being granted residency and that he had formed a new relationship with a Norwegian national instead, the tribunal found.
In upholding the decision to revoke his permanent residency, the tribunal found Saleh had "consistently been untruthful" and made "deliberate falsehoods" to gain Australian citizenship.
"The applicant's interactions with the department have been dictated by what he desired to gain and not by what his obligations required him to do," tribunal senior member Kira Raif wrote.
"The applicant appears to have very little remorse about his actions."
Ms Raif agreed that the Merrylands man would experience hardship if his visa was revoked and he returned to Gaza, but noted that he could apply to live in Norway as his partner had citizenship there.
On Wednesday, Mr Burke did not respond by deadline to AAP's questions about why Saleh still resided in Australia.
Mr Daoud ran for independent party Australian Migrants in Werriwa, Sydney during the 2025 federal election after standing for Clive Palmer's United Australia Party at the 2022 election.
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Hamas has responded to the latest US ceasefire proposal for Gaza, and a senior official with the group says they are seeking some changes, as desperation rises inside Gaza from the aid blockade. Israeli officials have approved the US proposal for a temporary ceasefire in the nearly 20-month war. US President Donald Trump has said negotiators were nearing a deal. "There are some notes and amendments to some points, especially on the US guarantees, the timing of hostage release, the delivery of aid and the withdrawal of Israeli forces," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks. A separate Hamas statement said the proposal aims for a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an ensured flow of aid. It said 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others would be released " in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners". A ceasefire would pause the fighting for 60 days, release some of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and much-needed food aid and other assistance, according to Hamas and Egyptian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media. As hopes for a ceasefire ramp up, desperation rises inside Gaza. Palestinians in the Gaza Strip blocked and offloaded dozens of food trucks, the UN World Food Program says, as desperation mounts following Israel's months-long aid blockade while talks of a ceasefire inch forward. The World Food Program said 77 trucks carrying aid, mostly flour, were stopped by hungry people who took the food before the trucks could reach their destination. The nearly three-month Israeli aid blockade on Gaza has pushed the population of over two million to the brink of famine. The World Food Program said the fear of starvation in Gaza is high despite the aid that's entering now. "We need to flood communities with food for the next few days to calm anxieties and rebuild the trust with communities that more food is coming," it said in a statement, adding that it has over 140,000 metric tons of food, enough to feed Gazans for two months, ready to be brought in. Most people carried bags of flour. He said at one point a forklift was used to offload pallets. The UN says it has been unable to get enough aid in because of fighting. A new US and Israeli-backed foundation started operations in Gaza this week, distributing food at several sites in a chaotic rollout. Israel says the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation eventually will replace the aid operation that the UN and others have carried out during nearly 20 months of war. It says the new mechanism is necessary, accusing Hamas of siphoning off large amounts of aid. The UN denies that a significant diversion takes place. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation works with armed contractors, which it says are needed to distribute food safely. Aid groups have accused the foundation of militarising aid. Israel continued its military campaign across Gaza, saying it struck dozens of targets over the past day. Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 60 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 250 hostages. Of those taken captive, 58 remain in Gaza. Israel believes 35 are dead and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there are doubts about the fate of several others. Israeli strikes have killed more than 54,000 Gaza residents, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally. Hamas has responded to the latest US ceasefire proposal for Gaza, and a senior official with the group says they are seeking some changes, as desperation rises inside Gaza from the aid blockade. Israeli officials have approved the US proposal for a temporary ceasefire in the nearly 20-month war. US President Donald Trump has said negotiators were nearing a deal. "There are some notes and amendments to some points, especially on the US guarantees, the timing of hostage release, the delivery of aid and the withdrawal of Israeli forces," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks. A separate Hamas statement said the proposal aims for a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an ensured flow of aid. It said 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others would be released " in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners". A ceasefire would pause the fighting for 60 days, release some of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and much-needed food aid and other assistance, according to Hamas and Egyptian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media. As hopes for a ceasefire ramp up, desperation rises inside Gaza. Palestinians in the Gaza Strip blocked and offloaded dozens of food trucks, the UN World Food Program says, as desperation mounts following Israel's months-long aid blockade while talks of a ceasefire inch forward. The World Food Program said 77 trucks carrying aid, mostly flour, were stopped by hungry people who took the food before the trucks could reach their destination. The nearly three-month Israeli aid blockade on Gaza has pushed the population of over two million to the brink of famine. The World Food Program said the fear of starvation in Gaza is high despite the aid that's entering now. "We need to flood communities with food for the next few days to calm anxieties and rebuild the trust with communities that more food is coming," it said in a statement, adding that it has over 140,000 metric tons of food, enough to feed Gazans for two months, ready to be brought in. Most people carried bags of flour. He said at one point a forklift was used to offload pallets. The UN says it has been unable to get enough aid in because of fighting. A new US and Israeli-backed foundation started operations in Gaza this week, distributing food at several sites in a chaotic rollout. Israel says the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation eventually will replace the aid operation that the UN and others have carried out during nearly 20 months of war. It says the new mechanism is necessary, accusing Hamas of siphoning off large amounts of aid. The UN denies that a significant diversion takes place. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation works with armed contractors, which it says are needed to distribute food safely. Aid groups have accused the foundation of militarising aid. Israel continued its military campaign across Gaza, saying it struck dozens of targets over the past day. Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 60 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 250 hostages. Of those taken captive, 58 remain in Gaza. Israel believes 35 are dead and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there are doubts about the fate of several others. Israeli strikes have killed more than 54,000 Gaza residents, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally. Hamas has responded to the latest US ceasefire proposal for Gaza, and a senior official with the group says they are seeking some changes, as desperation rises inside Gaza from the aid blockade. Israeli officials have approved the US proposal for a temporary ceasefire in the nearly 20-month war. US President Donald Trump has said negotiators were nearing a deal. "There are some notes and amendments to some points, especially on the US guarantees, the timing of hostage release, the delivery of aid and the withdrawal of Israeli forces," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks. A separate Hamas statement said the proposal aims for a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an ensured flow of aid. It said 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others would be released " in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners". A ceasefire would pause the fighting for 60 days, release some of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and much-needed food aid and other assistance, according to Hamas and Egyptian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media. As hopes for a ceasefire ramp up, desperation rises inside Gaza. Palestinians in the Gaza Strip blocked and offloaded dozens of food trucks, the UN World Food Program says, as desperation mounts following Israel's months-long aid blockade while talks of a ceasefire inch forward. The World Food Program said 77 trucks carrying aid, mostly flour, were stopped by hungry people who took the food before the trucks could reach their destination. The nearly three-month Israeli aid blockade on Gaza has pushed the population of over two million to the brink of famine. The World Food Program said the fear of starvation in Gaza is high despite the aid that's entering now. "We need to flood communities with food for the next few days to calm anxieties and rebuild the trust with communities that more food is coming," it said in a statement, adding that it has over 140,000 metric tons of food, enough to feed Gazans for two months, ready to be brought in. Most people carried bags of flour. He said at one point a forklift was used to offload pallets. The UN says it has been unable to get enough aid in because of fighting. A new US and Israeli-backed foundation started operations in Gaza this week, distributing food at several sites in a chaotic rollout. Israel says the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation eventually will replace the aid operation that the UN and others have carried out during nearly 20 months of war. It says the new mechanism is necessary, accusing Hamas of siphoning off large amounts of aid. The UN denies that a significant diversion takes place. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation works with armed contractors, which it says are needed to distribute food safely. Aid groups have accused the foundation of militarising aid. Israel continued its military campaign across Gaza, saying it struck dozens of targets over the past day. Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 60 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 250 hostages. Of those taken captive, 58 remain in Gaza. Israel believes 35 are dead and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there are doubts about the fate of several others. Israeli strikes have killed more than 54,000 Gaza residents, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally.
