Crime kingpin sues Barwon Prison for refusing him access to a prayer box

Convicted murderer George Marrogi is suing Barwon Prison for refusing him access to a prayer box for his Jewish faith amid apparent fears he could smuggle contraband into jail.

Convicted murderer and crime kingpin George Marrogi is suing Barwon Prison for refusing him access to a prayer box for his Jewish faith amid apparent fears he could smuggle contraband into jail.

The Notorious Crime Family boss has launched Supreme Court action against the jail claiming its decision to refuse him a Tefillin for prayer was “so defective” it went against his human rights.

In court documents Marrogi prepared himself, he suggested that “the Tefillin could be searched by X-ray devices that are in the accommodation units in which I am housed”.

But the criminal who is serving 32 years for murder said “this was not considered” by prison authorities.

It’s understood Marrogi has recently converted to the Jewish faith.

George Marrogi is suing Barwon Prison for refusing him access to a prayer box.

Earlier this year, he was seen in online court appearances wearing a kippah.

Papers state that the Governor of Barwon Prison told Marrogi of a decision “to totally limit (his) access to a Tefillin for his devout religious practice of Judaism” in a letter written on August 12 this year.

The crook is now seeking a judicial review in the Supreme Court and an order from a judge to quash the prison’s call, claiming it presented a “total lack of understanding” of his human rights.

The decision also limited his “freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief”, his property and prisoner rights, he claimed in court documents.

Marrogi stated the decision was “so defective … that no public officer or public authority acting reasonably and within jurisdiction could have possibly decided to absolutely prevent (him) having access to a Tefillin for his religious practice of Judaism”.

The convicted killer prepared his own court documents and sent a copy of his action to Barwon Prison, Attorney General Jaclyn Symes and the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission earlier this month.

Barwon Governor Colin Thompson and the prison’s Executive Governance Committee have been ordered to attend the Supreme Court via Zoom for a filing timetable hearing on October 23.

The underworld killer is serving jail sentences for the public execution of Kadir Ors, and for orchestrating a mass drug importation network from behind bars.

Originally published as Crime kingpin sues Barwon Prison for refusing him access to a prayer box