Mohamed Abukar: DiDi driver accused of raping woman, allegedly linked to other police reports of sexual assault

A DiDi driver accused of raping a woman has been linked to two other complaints from riders as police raise concerns more people may come forward, a court has been told. Mohamed Abukar, 44, was charged with one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault on Thursday after the alleged incident on the Australia Day long weekend. The married father-of-three appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday afternoon seeking bail to return to his family home in Thornbury. Police allege the DiDi driver picked up an intoxicated woman outside The Peel Hotel in Collingwood about 5am on January 25. Giving evidence, Detective Senior Constable Rachel Haugh said it was alleged Mr Abukar was captured on CCTV driving “laps” around the Collingwood area in his white Nissan X-TRAIL. She told the court the alleged victim, a woman in her 20s, was out socialising in the Collingwood area, including at The Peel Hotel – a popular LGBTQIA+ venue. Constable Haugh said the woman ordered an Uber to take her home and allegedly approached Mr Abukar’s vehicle thinking it was her booking. The detective said the male driver told her to get in the front seat and, when the woman said she did not think this was her ride, said; “No, I will take you where you need to go”. The court was told the woman was intoxicated but recalls waking up several times to find the driver sexually assaulting her before dropping her home after about 40 minutes. Constable Haugh said police were allegedly able to track Mr Abukar’s vehicle on CCTV throughout the journey, including an 11-minute stop in Collingwood. It’s alleged Mr Abukar’s DiDi service was not active at the time but records show his first use of the app was at 10am. It’s further alleged phone data from the woman and the accused man “indicates” the devices were both within the same location between Collingwood and South Yarra. Constable Haugh said CCTV and Mr Abukar’s bank records allegedly record him stopping at a 7-Eleven in Thornbury at 6.38am to buy a coffee and some banana bread. Wearing a white T-shirt and sporting a bald head and black goatee, Mr Abukar was seen shaking his head as details of the alleged offending were aired in court. Constable Haugh said Mr Abukar had allegedly been “independently linked” with two other reported sexual assaults, one against a man on July 15, 2022, and another against a woman on June 17, 2023. Both, she said, involved people being picked up by rideshare from The Peel Hotel but that neither alleged victim wished to proceed with a criminal accusation. The officer confirmed no charges had been laid in relation to those alleged incidents but said police were planning to canvas those complainants to see if they’d changed their minds. “As a result of media interest in this, there is every potential we may have further complainants coming forward as well,” she said. Constable Haugh said Mr Abukar had allegedly previously been employed by Uber until February last year when his account was cancelled after a “serious incident”. She told the court police were opposing bail by alleging Mr Abukar posed a risk to the community. “The offending demonstrates a willingness to abuse trust, target vulnerability and offend in circumstances where victims are least able to protect themselves,” she said. “Our main concern is he appears to be targeting The Peel Hotel in Collingwood specifically for unknown reasons.” Giving evidence, Mr Abukar’s wife, commercial lawyer Jade Hickey, said her husband was an honest person and she had no doubts he would follow any bail conditions. Mr Abukar’s lawyer, Kristy-lee Brilliant, told the court her client had no criminal history, family support and a stable home to live in. She argued there were “triable issues” in the case and, because police were waiting on forensic analysis, there could be significant delay before he faced trial. She said the allegations would be contested. Magistrate James FitzGerald ultimately denied bail, remanding Mr Abukar into custody ahead of his next court date in June. In his reasons, Mr FitzGerald said it appears to be a relatively strong prosecution case and he did not find Mr Abukar had met the test of showing compelling reasons to justify his release.