When the gangs are banished, Ibrahim parades his colours

The nightclub owner John Ibrahim wants to make it known: "The Cross is in safe hands … It's disorganised crime that's the problem.'' On the very night massive police numbers were deployed to crack down on bikie-related crime in the infamous Golden Mile, Mr Ibrahim paraded the fact he is still the king of Kings Cross. Mr Ibrahim, flanked by an entourage of tattoos and muscle, zig-zagged through Kings Cross shaking hands, exchanging jokes and hugs with security guards and touts in the early hours of yesterday morning. The Sun-Herald spoke to Mr Ibrahim about midnight on Friday, outside Dream Girls strip club, where he laughed off suggestions that gun crime in Sydney was out of control due to an escalating war between the Hells Angels and Nomads bikie clubs. "The Cross is in safe hands. No problems here," he said in rare public comments. "It's all good." It was a brazen public display of power on the same night that the Premier's beefed-up police presence was on the lookout for any bikies defying the new ban on wearing gang colours and emblems in Kings Cross clubs, pubs and restaurants. Barry O'Farrell's ban, which includes bikies running tattoo parlours, was part of a wider response to tit-for-tat shootings that last week included an attack on a house rented by former Nomad president Sam Ibrahim, John's elder brother. Another government measure to tackle bikie crime includes the Consorting and Organised Crime amendment that came into play on March 12. The opposition spokesman for police, Nathan Rees, said ''a criminal family may as well have written this consorting legislation'' as Section 93 Y allows a defence for family members who might otherwise be restricted from meeting under this law. ''The Ibrahim family can continue with impunity,'' Mr Rees said. But the barrister Wayne Baffsky said another recent amendment, the Criminal Organisations Control legislation, was laughable and dangerous. Mr Baffsky, who acts for the United Motorcycle Council, a group representing the major outlaw clubs, predicts a second High Court challenge that will cost NSW millions of dollars while wasting police and court time.

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