Hasan Genc, 34, faced Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday via video link for a bail application, which Magistrate Peter Mithen denied, deeming Mr Genc an unacceptable risk if released into the community.
The victim, who police described as a local business accountant with more than 13 000 clients, is said to be living in constant fear following the incident at his business on November 15 last year, which saw him and his wife leave Shepparton shortly after and not return.
The court heard that on this day the Shepparton accountant had a gun pressed to his head by a co-accused, and was told he must pay back half a million dollars he owed someone.
Police allege Mr Genc, who was inside the business at the time, planned the incident with two co-accused. Police believe all three have an association with members of the Hell's Angels motorcycle group.
Mr Genc is facing nine charges, including extortion with threats to kill, armed robbery, aggravated burglary, common law assault and committing an indictable offence while on bail.
Mr Mithen described the offences as "very serious".
Shepparton police Detective Senior Constable Cherrie McCaig told the court on Wednesday the victim had been Mr Genc's accountant for about five years.
The court heard Mr Genc, who police allege had also been a member of the Finks motorcycle group, communicated with the victim through an encrypted internet application called Signal.
The court heard in the month following the alleged incident Mr Genc communicated with the victim multiple times via Signal, declaring his support to the victim and saying he could help broker a deal with the co-accused.
During this time Mr Genc also messaged the victim explaining he had to pay the money because the co-accused were Hell's Angels, who "are worldwide, so you can't escape them".
Police have since revealed their investigations showed the victim did not owe the offenders any money.
Det Sen Const McCaig said the messages from Mr Genc soon turned "hostile", telling the victim "we know you're in police custody ... it's come from a close source of yours", "we know where you are" and "run away from everything but remember one thing, we are one of many".
The court heard Mr Genc had a "long term" associate in Shepparton who lived near the victim, with police alleging the accused made contact with this associate and the victim on the same day on seven separate occasions.
In the months following the incident police tracked the whereabouts of Mr Genc and a co-accused, with police alleging CCTV, call charge records and surveillance operatives captured them together on multiple occasions.
On February 25 this year detectives from Shepparton Criminal Investigation Unit arrested Mr Genc and took him to the Sunshine police station for interview.
Det Sen Const McCaig told the court police opposed Mr Genc's bail, describing him as a high risk of reoffending, someone who has and would continue to breach bail conditions and a "real risk" to the victim and the community.
Mr Genc's barrister, Mark Gumbleton, said his client met exceptional circumstances to be released on bail, arguing the delays caused by COVID-19, the threat of the virus spreading into the prison system and the strength of the prosecution case had to be considered.
“(Mr Genc) sits in custody unless he gets bail, waiting for an undetermined period in an environment in custody that has substantially changed — there are no visits, courses have been shut down and you can't rehabilitate to prove your bail or reduce your sentence,” he said.
Mr Gumbleton said his client had consistently denied his involvement in the incident from the beginning, saying he did not know who the two co-accused were at the time or what they were doing.
He questioned the allegation of ties to outlaw motorcycle groups, saying these were based only on police intelligence with no other evidence in support.
Mr Gumbleton also urged Mr Mithen to take into account Mr Genc's history, which he said spoke of a "law-abiding citizen" with the only priors for violence about 15 years ago.
Mr Gumbleton said conditions could be put in place to reduce the risk while Mr Genc was on bail, including a surety of up to $400 000 and a curfew that would see him be home for at least 12 hours every day.
“You only refuse bail in these circumstances where the risk is so unacceptable and no conditions can be imposed to reduce that to a manageable level — there are conditions available which can make him an acceptable risk,” Mr Gumbleton said.
Mr Genc is expected to face court again on July 14.
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