Outrage has erupted in Australia following revelations that the alleged perpetrator of the deadly Bondi Beach terrorist attack is receiving taxpayer-funded legal assistance.
Jewish Community Demands Legal Aid Reform
Robert Gregory, CEO of the Australian Jewish Association, has publicly questioned why public money is being used to fund the defence of Naveed Akram, the man accused of carrying out one of the nation's deadliest terror attacks. "Taxpayers will be outraged to discover that they are footing the bill for the alleged terrorist," Gregory stated. "There needs to be a discussion about law reform surrounding Legal Aid funding."
In New South Wales, Legal Aid is administered by the government agency Legal Aid NSW. To qualify for assistance, applicants must satisfy both a means test, assessing income and assets, and a merits test, which evaluates the likelihood of a case's success. A spokesperson from Fourtree Lawyers explained the system is designed to provide representation for those who cannot afford a private lawyer.
Suspect Faces 59 Charges After Waking from Coma
The 24-year-old Australian-born man, Naveed Akram, is facing 59 charges relating to the attack at Bondi Beach on Sunday night. Having recently awoken from a days-long coma, he was formally charged on Wednesday with offences including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act.
He did not appear or apply for bail during a brief virtual hearing before Magistrate Daniel Covington, where he was represented by a Legal Aid lawyer. Akram remains in hospital under police guard. The maximum penalty for the charges of murder and committing a terrorist act is life imprisonment.
Police allege that Akram and his father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, used long-arm guns to fire at a crowd celebrating the Jewish festival of lights. His father, a licensed gun owner, died at the scene. Authorities confirmed that Naveed Akram had previously come to the attention of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) in 2019 due to his associations.
Investigation Uncovers Terrorist Symbols
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon stated that officers found two home-made Islamic State flags in a car registered to the suspect. "Police will allege in court the man engaged in conduct that caused death, serious injury and endangered life to advance a religious cause and cause fear in the community," a police statement said.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett confirmed investigators are forensically examining "significant digital material" and will execute further search warrants. The case has been adjourned until 8 April.
The attack resulted in a devastating toll: 15 innocent people, aged between 10 and 87, were killed. Forty-one others, including four children, were taken to hospital. Seventeen people remain in hospital, with one in a critical condition. Four others are critical but stable, including Constable Scott Dyson, who underwent surgery after being wounded.
