Crime family turn to police for answers

As family farewell the alleged Melbourne crime-boss Macchour Chaouk, they denied his murder was an "underworld killing" and are turning to the authorities for justice.

Chaouk was shot dead last Friday in the backyard of his home in the Melbourne suburb of Brooklyn.

The Australian news website reported a heavy contingent of police stood guard at Chaouk's funeral, where 10 patched Hells Angels gang members arrived to pay their respects.

Speaking outside Chaouk's funeral service, two family members read a statement titled "Let Justice Prevail" to the assembled media.

"Macchour Chouk was gunned down in cold blood at his modest house.

"He was killed in his own backyard in front of his three grandchildren, the eldest of them is seven-years-old.

"He was murdered in front of his wife and daughter-in-law.

"The murderer threatened to murder Macchour's wife before he ran away."

The two family members said that, contrary to "media beat-ups", the terms "underworld killings", "war in the suburbs" and "vicious gun culture" were not correct.

"We want to strongly believe that the Australian justice system and police will secure the rights of the innocent victim and his family in bringing the killer or killers of this terrible crime to justice," they said.

"We ask the media to respect the right of the family to grieve its big loss and to bear the legal responsibility for any misleading, inaccurate and inflammable (sic) comment on behalf of the family."

Chaouk will later be buried in the Fawkner Cemetery beside his son Mohamed who was shot dead five years ago at the age of 29 by a member of the Special Operations Group during a raid on the family's Brooklyn home.

- AP, NZ Herald staff