Emanuel Fradelakis: Accused cocaine dealer ‘to make UNSW Dean’s List’
A young uni student’s lawyers say he has high academic prospects, police however allege he was a top cocaine dealer selling from his family's home.
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A university student accused by police of running a cocaine dealing operation out of his family home has been released on bail after a court heard he was on course to make the UNSW Dean’s list for academic achievement.
Emanuel George Fradelakis, 23, was granted bail after his defence barrister Benjamin Clark told the Supreme Court on Tuesday police had a weak case against the high achieving student.
“What drug is being exchanged if a drug is being exchanged,” Mr Clark said of police observations showing alleged customers coming and going from the property.
“If we are able to achieve bail for him he can engage in the final year … he is an intelligent student who has been placed on the Dean’s List for academic achievement.”
The court was told Fradelakis was studying a building degree.
Fradelakis was arrested in February after police surveilled his family’s home in Botany for four months and tapped thousands of calls between him and potential buyers, the court heard.
A total of $26,000, 20g of cocaine, a Rolex and a Nokia were allegedly found in a safe in his bedroom, however, Mr Clark said police were looking into his defence that the money was lawfully obtained from a bathroom renovation Fradelakis completed.
He has pleaded not guilty to charges of dealing with proceeds of crime, drug supply on an ongoing basis and two counts of supply prohibited drug.
Crown Prosecutor Rafaella Buttini said an expert analysis of intercepted calls was under way to decode the conversations in which they allege references to pizza were actually drugs.
“I don’t know how many pizzas he would have been selling at $400,” Justice Desmond Fagan said.
Police allege they witnessed more than 50 transactions during their surveillance of Fradelakis.
Ms Buttini objected to his release over concerns that he already had a drug conviction and his father had allegedly admitted to police to using cannabis at the family home.
Justice Fagan granted him bail over concerns Fradelakis would spend more time in custody than he would if convicted of the charges after his girlfriend’s mother put a $50,000 surety to secure his release under a number of strict conditions.
He will next appear in Central Local Court on June 11.
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