Prosecutors say a man found guilty of drug trafficking after police found a $50,000 stash of cocaine, MDMA and methylamphetamine at his house is an alleged Nomads boss and should spend more time behind bars.
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But the ACT Supreme Court will hear an argument over whether Mohamed Nchuki, 37, had any links to bikie gangs at all when police swooped on his Chisholm home.
Nchuki was charged after police seized the drugs, weapons and ammunition during a search of his property and a car in November 2014.
Police said they found about 137 grams of cocaine, about 57 grams of methylamphetamine and 86 MDMA pills in bags in the raid. They also seized more than $7000 cash, two Taser-like devices, scales, a cocaine snorter and bullets.
A flick knife and more than $5000 cash were found in the pockets of Nchuki's work pants.
He had pleaded not guilty to three drug trafficking offences and charges of possessing an illegal weapon. He maintained he was a drug addict and the drugs were for personal use. A judge found him guilty last month.
Prosecutor Jane Campbell said on Wednesday information in documents before the court that alleged Nchuki was president of the Nomads in the ACT should be a "significant factor in sentencing".
"A person who has bikie affiliations - it is an issue when they're released into the community."
But defence barrister Jack Pappas said his client denied he had been a member of any bikie gang when the offences occurred.
Acting Justice David Robinson said the dispute over Nchuki's alleged bikie gang links and any affect that might have on his sentence would be debated later this year.
Ms Campbell said Nchuki had been driven by financial gain rather than his own personal drug use as she urged the court to impose a custodial sentence.
She said there was no allegation he was in the higher levels of the drug supply chain but argued he sat higher than a street-level dealer.
She pointed to the number and variety of drugs found at the house and said they each caused different types of harm to the community, pointing to a strong need for general deterrence.
Mr Pappas suggested a partially suspended sentence, taking into account five months Nchuki had already spent behind bars, would give him the chance to show he was "fair dinkum" about rehabilitation for his drug habit.
He asked the court to approach Nchuki's offending as a single instance of criminality that involved a single search warrant issued on a single day, with no evidence his client had previously been involved in drug dealing.
Mr Pappas noted his client was a well-regarded business owner who was seen as a generous and loyal friend. His wife and two young children gave him a reason to "stay on the straight and narrow", he said.
The case will return to court at a later date.
