Tobacconist claims his business was firebombed after he refused to pay up

A tobacco store owner has claimed his business was firebombed two weeks after he refused to follow an overseas crime boss’s orders to pay up.

Alibadi has been charged with 24 offences relating to alleged firebombings and car thefts across Melbourne between September 2023 and March.

Police claim Alibadi has been working for Kazem ‘Kaz’ Hamad, who is allegedly running the Hamad family’s organised crime operations from the Middle East.

The Hamad syndicate is fighting the Haddara gang for control over the importation and distribution of illegal tobacco in Victoria, the court was previously told.

It’s alleged Alibadi went to Haddara’s Glenroy Vape Tobacconist store in Melbourne’s north on September 23, 2023, and handed over a phone with an active video call from Kaz Hamad.

Hamad claimed the GVT store was in an area belonging to him and Haddara would need to pay up if he wanted to keep doing business, Haddara told the court through an Arabic interpreter.

The owner claimed he refused, instead telling Hamad in Arabic, “I pay you my dick”.

Haddara alleged Alibadi then asked him for a lighter and scoped out his store for CCTV cameras before leaving.

The store was set alight on October 10, 2023, causing more than $450,000 worth of damage.

Alibadi has been charged with arson and reckless conduct endangering life over the incident.

Haddara also alleged he received a call from a private overseas number in February and then a text from an Australian number where his life was threatened.

He admitted the details of the text message were not in his written police statements, nor was any mention of Alibadi allegedly scoping out the store.

Alibadi, who has been on bail since May, denies the allegations.

Magistrate Jillian Prior will hear from another four witnesses before deciding whether there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial.

The committal hearing is expected to run until Wednesday.