Developer denies reported links to organised crime

One of the biggest property developers in NSW is suing Nine over reports that the company and its boss have links to organized crime figures including the notorious Alameddine gang.

Coronation Property, which claimed to have approximately $2 billion in real estate assets and $5.7 billion on the way, took the media company to court.

The firm’s owner, Joe Nahas, claims his reputation was seriously affected by articles published in the Sydney Morning Herald.

“These matters link Mr Nahas to the Alameddine organized crime group, which is notorious in Sydney for its alleged role in serious criminal activity, including multiple murders,” his lawyers from Mark O’Brien Legal write in court documents seen by AAP.

An article by investigative journalist Kate McClymont in August 2022 concerned the short-term appointment of former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro as managing director of a real estate firm.

Mr Nahas and his brother Andy Nahas grew up in the same area of ​​Sydney as the Alameddine family, the report said.

Andy Nahas was allegedly photographed with organized crime figures, including Masood Zakaria.

“Ms McClymont’s ‘evidence’ was clearly an inadequate basis for issuing serious accusations against Mr (Joe) Nahas and the Coronation,” the NSW Supreme Court defense said.

According to the documents, McClymont reported that Zakaria was told at a September 2022 budget estimates hearing that the construction giant was a shareholder in the recruiting firm.

An article published in December 2022 contained further defamatory accusations, including that Coronation arranged for YouTuber FriendlyJordies’ home in Bondi to be firebombed.

YouTuber, whose real name is Jordan Shanks-Markovina, removed a video about Coronation after the arson attack.

Joe Nahas was not charged in connection with the incident and there were no findings against him.

Coronation’s defense states that the reports were again “manifestly inadequate” to justify repeating the defamatory accusations.

In March, McClymont wrote an article about three private detectives accused of installing illegal tracking devices in the name of Joe Nahas.

The defense claims that these criminal allegations are not newsworthy enough to warrant another article.

“It should be understood that the publication of the March 2025 article was a misleading pretext for the defendants to publish further matters linking Mr. Nahas and Coronation to their alleged criminal activity.”

The nine are accused of a three-year campaign of “baseless accusations” against Coronation and Mr Nahas, dating back to July.

Meanwhile, an article by McClymont and another investigative reporter, Perry Duffin, was published about alleged connections between arson at two child care centers and the underworld.

The defenses state that this report is also defamatory because it implies that Joe Nahas gave the order to attack the nurseries.

Nine and McClymont were also accused of acting in bad faith by “threatening” to publish further accusations against the coronation.

Mark O’Brien Legal emailed Nine to say Andy Nahas has no ownership interest in Coronation or any of its companies.

In August, lawyer Paul Svilans demanded Nine apologize and pay his client compensation as well as legal costs.

The case also targets a September article about the arrest of a number of organized criminals at a Coronation-run apartment block in western Sydney.

The company says these claims are false.

In addition to damaging Joe Nahas’ reputation, Coronation claims that these articles financially impacted his business with prospective tenants, investors and lenders.

In its defense submitted in October, the firm wrote that Coronation needed to raise $1.6 billion in debt to manage its operations for the next 12 months.

“We stand by our journalists and our journalism and the issue will be defended strongly,” a spokesman for Nine told AAP on Friday.

Responding to AAP on behalf of Coronation, Mr Svilans said it was disappointing that the Sydney Morning Herald had published stories containing unsubstantiated claims and speculation.

“As a result, Coronation Property has no choice but to take legal action.”

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