By Erin Pearson
A high-profile lawyer charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice will be allowed to travel overseas on a family holiday after her bail conditions were eased.
Sarah Tricarico, 38, and co-accused Youssef Samaan Raffoul, 33, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, five days after being charged as part of an international law enforcement sting.
Underworld lawyer Sarah Tricarico leaves Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.Credit: Jason South
Tricarico’s barrister, Dermot Dann, KC, told the court his client intended to fight the charge and also her suspension of her practising certificate by the Legal Services Board, which bans her from working as a lawyer in Australia.
Court documents released to the press show police allege Tricarico allegedly instructed Raffoul to remotely delete the contents of a mobile phone she believed another man, Patrick Succar, had been using before Succar’s arrest in February 2019.
Police allege this instruction would hinder the police investigation and subsequent prosecution of Succar for “serious offending”.
Police allege Raffoul then attempted to clear the phone’s contents, remotely.
Succar was later jailed in 2020 for a minimum of three years and six months after pleading guilty to trafficking a commercial quantity of drugs for attempting to post 500 grams of cocaine to NSW two years prior.
Outside court, supporters of Tricarico, including a practising barrister, hurled abuse at the media and one woman pushed and threatened a photographer.
Youssef Raffoul is also charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.Credit: Jason South
Prosecutor Rose George asked the court for two extra weeks to prepare the brief of evidence against the accused pair while the Australian Federal Police mapped mobile phone devices, which both defence teams opposed.
Dann said his client had been left “in the dark” without any indication of what material the prosecution would seek to rely on, including a summary of the allegations against her.
“My client is a practising solicitor who is currently suspended. She intends to address that matter with the Legal Services Board as quickly as possible,” Dann said.
“We seek to have this matter progress as quickly as possible. She maintains her innocence.”
Conor O’Bryan, for Raffoul, agreed with Dann and noted the charge against his client related to conduct allegedly committed six years ago.
Magistrate Michelle Hodgson refused the prosecution request for extra time and ordered the case return to court in June.
George told the court there were no digital forensics, CCTV footage or DNA, and the lead police investigator was also electing not to rely on any listening device material.
Raffoul remains on bail with conditions including that he surrender his passport, avoid international airports and not contact prosecution witnesses.
Tricarico’s bail conditions were varied to allow her to travel overseas on a prearranged holiday with her mother and son, the details of which were revealed only to the magistrate.
Tricarico, of Maribyrnong, and Raffoul, of Coburg, were arrested by Victoria Police’s Criminal Proceeds Squad last week, as part of evidence allegedly uncovered during a sting that tricked underworld figures into using an encrypted phone system run by police.
Tricarico has had to withdraw from her key role in running an appeal for drug baron Tony Mokbel because of the suspension of her practising certificate.
The maximum penalty for attempting to pervert the course of justice in Victoria is 25 years’ imprisonment.
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