A man has been granted bail after being arrested on his return to Australia over his alleged connection to a public shooting believed to be a tragic case of mistaken identity.
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Samuel Tuni was charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder and participating in a criminal group following his arrest at Sydney Airport while returning from a holiday to Fiji.
The 24-year-old notified police that he was taking the trip before leaving the country, his Legal Aid lawyer Matthew Wade told Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday.
"Why would he come back if he had any guilty conscience or any suggestion he was going to be arrested?" he said.
Mr Wade said Tuni had been accused of arranging for a tow truck to move cars allegedly linked to the shooting, but there was no evidence showing he knew the vehicles were stolen or going to be used in crimes.
Ahmed Al Azzam, 25, died in hospital three days after he was found seriously injured in his parked car following the shooting at Greenacre, in Sydney's southwest, on July 23.
Two other people, a 22-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman, were wounded in a separate car parked about 50m away, with the man sustaining life-altering spinal injuries.
Tuni is the seventh person to be charged over the shooting, which police believe was linked to the Haouchar crime gang.
Investigators alleged the perpetrators of the shooting wrongly thought the occupants of the vehicles were members of rival gang, the Comancheros, who were planning a kidnap attempt.
Police are still looking for the alleged gunman, 22-year-old Anthony Pele, who investigators say fled overseas soon after shooting all three victims.
An arrest warrant was issued for Pele's arrest late last year with investigators urging him to return to Australia and face the consequences of his actions.
Tuni appeared via audiovisual link wearing a face mask and handcuffs, responding "yes sir" when asked if he understood the need to abide by his bail conditions.
They included reporting requirements and not contacting any witnesses or other people charged during the investigation.
He is due to return to court in March.
Australian Associated Press
