Paedophile MP Orkopoulos formally denies breaching parole
Disgraced former politician and convicted paedophile Milton Orkopoulos has formally pleaded not guilty to breaching his parole conditions as new details of the alleged offences emerge.
NSW
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Paedophile former politician Milton Orkopoulos has pleaded not guilty to breaching his parole conditions with his lawyer pushing police to drop the charges entirely.
It’s also emerged one of his two alleged breaches came about because a child relative was told to ‘say hi’ to him over the phone.
Orkopoulos, 62, was released on parole on December 20 after more than a decade behind bars for 30 child sexual abuse and drugs charges.
The former NSW Labor minister was charged by police just a month later for allegedly breaching his parole conditions.
Police have alleged in court Orkopoulos first breached his conditions when he spoke with a child relative on the phone and again when he set up an Instagram account and followed soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Orkopoulos did not appear in Waverley Local Court when his matter was heard on Wednesday.
But his lawyer, Omar Juweinat, entered formal not guilty pleas on his behalf.
“The accused will have to demonstrate, on the balance of probabilities, he had a reasonable excuse why he didn’t report (the conversation),” he said.
“It’s a minute interaction with a child.”
It’s understood Orkopoulos was speaking with a family member who told the child to “say hi” to him.
It’s further understood police became aware of the phone call and the Instagram account when they spoke with Orkopoulos at his home in mid January.
Mr Juweinat told the court he had written to police asking them to drop the charges but they had yet to respond.
The letter, handed up to the court on Wednesday, is understood to argue prosecuting Orkopoulos for the phone conversation would not be in the interest of the public or justice.
The letter is also understood to push for the withdrawal of the Instagram breach because Orkopoulos told police about his account three days after activating it.
Mr Juweinat had initially asked for an adjournment so his client would not plead to charges that would not eventuate.
But that request was denied and the matter will go ahead in late March.