Authorities are probing whether two Australian men were linked to the alleged Bondi Beach terrorists during their four-week stay in the Philippines.
Philippines National Police (PNP) officers are investigating if the two men from Sydney crossed paths with accused gunmen Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed, 24.
Sajid was shot dead and Naveed taken into custody after last Sunday’s horrific Hanukkah Bondi Beach attack left 15 dead and dozens more injured.
It was revealed the Akrams spent a month staying at a budget $24 a night hotel in Davao City prior to the December 14 shootings.
Philippines police are also probing what happened during a meeting the Akrams had with a Muslim cleric, which was captured on CCTV, The Daily Telegraph reported.
It’s been reported the two Sydney men were in Davao City at a time which ‘overlapped with the Akrams’ stay’.
The alleged killers and the two other men did not visit any tourist spots during their stays, which is only a ten-hour drive from an Islamic State-linked terror training ground.
One of the additional men, believed to be in his 50s, flew from Sydney to Manila before travelling to Davao City on November 8.
Bondi Beach terror suspect Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 15 counts of murder
Sajid Akram, 50 (pictured), was gunned down following the Bondi Beach attack last Sunday
That man returned to Australia on November 25.
A younger man, believed to be in his 20s, arrived on the day the older man flew out of the Philippines – three days before the Akrams left.
He returned to Sydney on December 3.
It’s understood the Akrams spent most of their time inside their room at the budget GV Hotel.
According to sources, PNP investigators are scouring CCTV throughout the city as they investigate if the Akrams knew or met the other Sydney men during their stay.
‘That is the question, (what was) the purpose,’ a police source said.
‘That is what we want to know. They did not go to any tourist destinations.’
‘[The Akrams] possibly met with two other men while they were here. They were not tourists.’
The GV Hotel in Davao City Philippines where the Akrams stayed for a month before the Bondi Beach attack
Flowers laid outside Bondi Pavilion as mourners gathered on Saturday
Local detectives also say there is CCTV footage of Sajid talking to a cleric at a mosque within walking distance of the GV Hotel.
GV Hotel staff are baffled as to why the Akrams stayed at the budget hotel for 28 days before allegedly committing the Bondi Beach massacre.
On Thursday, Davao City police interviewed GV Hotel reception manager Jenelyn Sayson in the hotel lobby.
‘We have no idea why they were here. They were normal guests,’ Ms Sayson said.
Witnesses claimed the Akrams gorged on fast food including orders from the fried chicken outlet Jollibee.
The alleged terrorists ate the food in their room despite having access to a restaurant at the base of the hotel.
‘They just asked about McDonald’s and Jollibee. (I) didn’t think it was unusual as it was their first time here,’ Ms Sayson said.
‘They were always together when they go out or into their room… Naveed would go out for longer periods of time while his dad would stay here. They looked like normal people.’
Inside a room at the GV Hotel where the Akrams stayed a month before the Bondi attack
GV Hotel CCTV footage has since been handed to police.
The Akrams booked their accommodation for a one week stay before extending it further.
The alleged terrorists did not interact with staff or other guests except to ask for directions.
In the meantime ASIO and the Australian Federal Police have been investigating why the alleged Bondi terrorists travelled to the Philippines in November.
Davao City, which has a population of 1.85million, is not a popular holiday destination for Australian tourists as guards in army fatigues man corners of the city’s streets armed with military-grade assault rifles.
It’s believed the heavy security is to reassure the city is safe after a backpack filled with a mortar shell and fitted with a remote detonator exploded at the Roxas Night Market, killing 15 and injuring 70 in 2016.
Backpacks remain banned from the outdoor market in the centre of Davao City.
Philippines president Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has since denied the suspected Bondi terrorists received ‘military style training’ in his country.
Davao City (above) is not a usual tourist destination
However, the southern Philippines island of Mindanao has been a terrorist haven for a decade.
Islamic State East Asia and its predecessor ‘Abu Sayyaf’ have utilised the mountainous and isolated regions of the island for training and organising terror attacks across the world.
On Wednesday, Naveed was charged with 59 offences including 15 counts of murder.
The attack occurred just before 7pm on Sunday, when Naveed and Sajid allegedly opened fire during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, killing at least 15 people and injuring 40 more.
Akram – who allegedly shot at a crowd of hundreds alongside his father Sajid – was charged after he spent two days in a coma after being shot by police.
The charges against him include one count of committing a terrorist act, one count of discharging a firearm in public, one count of causing a public display of a prohibited terrorist symbol, one count of placing an explosive in or near a building with intent to cause harm, and 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder.
‘Police will allege in court the man engaged in conduct that caused death, serious injury and endangered life to advance a religious cause and cause fear in the community,’ NSW Police said in a statement.
‘Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by ISIS, a listed terrorist organisation in Australia.’
His father, Sajid, was fatally shot by police during the nine-minute attack.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said no others were expected to be charged.
‘There is no evidence to suggest other individuals were involved in this attack, however, we caution that this could change given it is early in our investigation,’ she said.
