NSW: Sydney silent over Granville double murder

AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2006
NSW: Sydney silent over Granville double murder

SYDNEY, April 3 AAP - Tight-lipped residents are withholding crucial details about
a double murder in Sydney, State Crime Command chief Graeme Morgan says.

Police have promised "absolute confidentiality" to anyone with information about the
shooting murders of boxer Bassam Chami, 26, and his friend Ibrahim Assad, 27, in Blaxcell
Street, Granville, last week.

Detectives were again called to the western Sydney street last night after shots were
fired into an empty house about 8.30pm (AEST).

They found a number of spent shell casings close to the scene of last week's fatal shooting.

Assistant Commissioner Morgan today said he did not know whether the latest shooting
was an act of retaliation for the murders.

"The obvious concern is that it is an act of retaliation," Mr Morgan told ABC Radio.

"If that's so, it's the second apparent act of retaliation because there was another
shooting on Friday night at Regents Park which we are concerned about."

Mr Morgan said there was "no doubt in the world" that some south-western Sydney residents
knew more about the shootings than they were telling police.

"They are the people that have the power to stop this, and obviously we appeal for
them to come forward," he said.

"We can offer them absolute confidentiality.

"We can offer them protection if necessary, we'll take the information anonymously,
but they must see their responsibility and assist police.

"It depends on the community, quite frankly.

"If they are prepared to come forward, if they're prepared to assist police we can stop it today.

"But if they don't come forward then I fear we won't be able to stop it for some little
time to come".

Mr Morgan said police shared community concerns about the number of handguns on the
streets, and were making progress in decreasing their use.

He said Task Force Gain, established in 2003 to tackle gun violence in Sydney's south-west,
had contributed to this progress.

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KEYWORD: SHOTS MORGAN

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