Salim Mehajer's estranged wife Aysha holds the reins to key parts of his business empire while a court order prevents him from contacting or approaching her, company records reveal.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On Wednesday the Downing Centre Local Court extended an urgent 28-day Apprehended Violence Order made by police against Mr Mehajer on behalf of his wife.
The order prevents Mr Mehajer from approaching or contacting his wife of one year, who has reverted to using her maiden name Aysha Amelia Learmonth, and from going within 50 metres of her home or workplace.
The conditions may restrict the property developer-turned-politician's ability to run his multimillion-dollar business empire, which has been hit with a series of legal disputes over allegedly unpaid debts including tax bills.
Ms Learmonth, 30, remains a director of a string of Mehajer companies, including SM Engineering and Construction Services and Skypoint Towers Holdings.
SkyPoint Towers is Mr Mehajer's signature project, a 14-storey apartment complex development in John Street, Lidcombe.
Ms Learmonth is the sole shareholder of Skypoint Towers Holdings and sits on the board with his 24-year-old sister Khadijeh (Kat).
She also shares the directorship of Mehajer Consolidated Limited with Kat and Mr Mehajer's sister Aisha and is the sole shareholder of Frances St Dual Property Pty Limited, the directorship of which is shared with Kat.
The couple shared a palatial home in Frances Street, Lidcombe, which ran foul of council rules relating to fake turf, boundary fences and driveways.
Ms Learmonth was appointed in November last year to 12 family companies, but has since been removed from the bulk of them.
She was the sole director for a short time of S.E.T. Services and Sydney Project Group, which are being sued by a commercial finance broker for almost $2 million.
She was also director of Sydney Constructions & Developments, which lost a deal last year to buy a council-owned car park for $6.5 million.
The Local Court heard on Wednesday that Mr Mehajer, 30, will seek to challenge the AVO conditions relating to contacting or approaching his wife at home or work when the matter returns to court on August 17.
However, he agreed without making any admissions to standard conditions that he refrain from intimidating, harassing or stalking her.
The pair, whose lavish nuptials made headlines across the country and overseas, have been dogged by persistent rumours about the breakdown of their marriage. They would have celebrated their first wedding anniversary on August 15.
But Mr Mehajer has insisted the police, rather than his wife, have "nothing better to do" than take out the AVO in her name and "only death" would part the pair.
Ms Learmonth did not respond to a request for comment from Fairfax Media about her involvement in the Mehajer family property empire.
The former beautician has rarely spoken out on business matters but a letter in her name was sent to the state government last year, imploring Local Government Minister Paul Toole not to suspend Auburn Council because of potential adverse impacts on a multimillion-dollar property deal.
