NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley grilled during budget estimates hearing

NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley has declined to answer key questions about the issuing of a firearms licence to alleged Bondi gunman Sajid Akram, citing the ongoing royal commission.

The Royal Commission into Social Cohesion and anti-Semitism, headed by former High Court judge Virginia Bell, ended hearing evidence on Wednesday. It will hand over its final report in mid-December.

Appearing before a budget estimates hearing on Friday, Ms Catley reaffirmed a backlog at the NSW firearms registry was responsible for the years-long delay in Mr Akram being issued a gun licence before the December 14, 2025 attack.

The hearing was told of reporting that suggested that in 2020, the year Mr Akram applied for a firearm licence, the average processing time for A, B-category firearms was 96 days, and 76 days in the second half of that year.

Asked by Liberal MLC Susan Carter if her previous explanation to the public for the delay “was wrong”, Ms Catley said: “Well, it was the information that I was provided at the time”.

“I think that we should wait to see what comes out of the royal commission … we will all learn from that,” she said.

Ms Catley raised concerns under questioning about prejudicing the criminal case of Sajid Akram’s son, Naveed Akram and the royal commission.

Naveed Akram is behind bars on remand charged with 78 charges including terrorism and murder for the December 14 attack targeting the Jewish community that left 15 innocent people dead.

Ms Catley was later shown the minutes of a March 10, 2022 meeting of the Firearms Registry Consultative Council, which reported there were four outstanding internal reviews.

“I put to you that Sajid Akram was one of those internal reviews, which goes contrary to the advice that you’ve been provided,” NSW Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers MLC Mark Banasiak said to Ms Catley.

She replied: “I cannot confirm that, but I have been told that there were more than 100 – and almost 150 – outstanding at that time.”

Pressed on why a “no turned into a yes” in regard to Akram’s application, Ms Catley again reiterated that any answer to the actual delay would be subject to the royal commission.

“The evidence is now clear, he (Akram) was subject to an internal review, which means he was initially rejected,” Mr Banasiak said.

“And, then at some point, the registry has issued him a licence, which meant a no has turned into a yes.