The so called ‘mastermind’ of the Dural caravan plot hoax – who fled the country – has told the ABC he wants people to know his side of the story. In January a caravan filled with explosives and a note referencing the great Jewish synagogue, was found at Dural in Sydney’s outer suburbs. Key suspect Sayet Erhan Acka speaks for the first time to four corners tonight – here is a sneak preview.
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00:00For the past seven weeks,
00:17Turkey has been rocked by anti-government protests.
00:30I've come here in the midst of this turmoil to meet an underworld figure in hiding.
00:37Sayyid Erhan Akar is a key person of interest to police investigating Australia's wave of anti-semitic crime.
00:49He didn't want Australian authorities to know exactly where to find him,
00:54so he sent a driver to take me to another location somewhere outside of Istanbul.
01:00We have no idea where we're going.
01:14All we know is it's going to be a long drive and eventually we're going to meet with Sayyid.
01:30Good to meet you.
01:52You were going to sleep last night.
01:56It's taken months of negotiation to arrange this meeting, with the man police are hunting.
02:04Sayyid Erhan Akar, also known as Aaron, is a wanted man who is believed to have fled Australia...
02:10A 35-year-old fled the country while on bail for alleged drug importation.
02:15Former Sydney fugitive Sayyid Erhan Akar...
02:18Akar is alleged to have used the terror plot as a form of bargaining...
02:22The bigger reportedly behind this spate of attacks is Sayyid Erhan Akar.
02:29His face has been all over the Australian media as the man suspected of orchestrating a wave of anti-semitic crime,
02:36culminating in a caravan filled with explosives.
02:40He's now breaking his silence.
02:47Why have you decided to speak to four callers?
02:50So people have an idea of what the other side of the story is.
02:56I feel like it's been so lopsided and just to clear the air with my family on what the actual truth is.
03:04I don't know how it all just got ruled directly to me.
03:08We can't verify a lot of what Akar says.
03:11Why should we believe a criminal?
03:14Who someone is, isn't based off what they have done in the past.
03:18Everyone's made mistakes.
03:19But that's, I mean, sometimes the criminals that are the most honest.
03:25It's probably the most honest form of trade, if you think about it.