Man accused of Sydney kidnapping granted $1m bail

Almost two months before he was shot dead in Sydney’s south-west in 2023, Marvin Oraiha was kidnapped and held for ransom, police allege.

Three years later Zacaria Alameddine has been arrested over the alleged abduction, charged with take/detain in company with intent to ransom occasioning actual bodily harm, and participating in a criminal group contributing criminal activity.

Police swooped on the 27-year-old in the harbourside suburb of Dawes Point on Wednesday morning. They allege more than $30,000 in cash was found in his car at the time.

But the case against Alameddine has already been dealt a blow, after he was released on $1 million bail when he faced court on Thursday.

Oraiha, 24, was shot multiple times sitting in his car on a suburban western Sydney street on May 22 that year, with multiple people charged over Oraiha’s killing.

The charges against Alameddine relate to the unrelated kidnapping in March 2023, when Oraiha was allegedly held for ransom overnight at a Belfield unit, and images showing him with significant head injuries were sent to his family.

Greg James, KC, told the court police had a limited, “very weak” case, involving alleged events from years earlier, reconstructed by investigators from “other people’s texts”, James said.

“Much of which would be inadmissible in any trial,” he said.

“Putting it all together, there is, in our submission, a limited likelihood of the case going ahead, certainly against him.”

Police prosecutor Patrick Sinclair said the case, primarily based on text messages and mobile cell tower location data, was circumstantial but not weak.

“It indicates the accused’s involvement in the enterprise, physically places him at the ransom collection point,” Sinclair said.

But Judge Daniel Covington said, “I can’t say the case is strong”.

However, he noted if the case had been brought closer to when the alleged kidnapping occurred he “would come to a different conclusion”.

Covington granted bail with conditions including surrendering his passport and his father agreeing to forfeit $1 million from the value of his house if Alameddine failed to show up for court.

He is next due to face Burwood Local Court on July 2022.

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