Court refuses gag order over Bilal Haouchar’s brother Nedal’s $3.5m bail win
Nedal Haouchar, the brother of accused international crime boss Bilal Haouchar, tried to have details of his bail win kept secret from the public. The judge wasn’t having any of it.
Police & Courts
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The brother of accused international crime boss Bilal Haouchar has failed in his bid to have details of his drug trafficking case kept secret from the public on safety grounds.
Lawyers for Nedal Haouchar told the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday afternoon their client feared for his own safety and the safety of his family if the media was allowed to publish the court’s decision to grant him $3.5 million bail.
They argued an article published in the Daily Telegraph last month - in which unnamed police and underworld sources claimed Haouchar was the target of a kidnapping plot - showed there were “credibly and not fanciful” threats to Haouchar’s safety if his whereabouts were known.
They called for a gag order to be placed over the entire proceedings.
Justice Peter Garling refused the request, finding the claims of threats were not reliable.
Meanwhile, Haouchar was expected to walk out of prison on bail as early as Tuesday night.
As part of his liberty, he will be required to abide by a home detention condition, which will prevent him from leaving his house unless he is reporting to police twice a day or attending legal or medical appointments.
Court documents reveal police will allege Haouchar was one of the chief “onshore facilitators” in a multimillion-dollar transnational drug operation allegedly linked to his fugitive sibling Bilal.
Nedal Haouchar, who was arrested at Sydney Airport last month on a one-way ticket to Asia, is facing large commercial drug supply charges over his alleged involvement in organising the sale of 12kg of cocaine.
He is also facing proceeds of crime charges after police allegedly seized $4.5m in cash during multiple search warrants.
Justice Garling said the case against Haouchar appeared to be “reasonably strong” and if proven, indicated he was involved in drug dealing and money laundering “at a breathtakingly large level”.
However, he agreed to grant Haouchar bail, noting he had a family member with complex medical needs who required his help, and any trial was likely to be at least a year away.
As part off his bail, Haouchar must wear an electronic ankle monitor around-the-clock, cannot use encrypted apps on his phone and is prohibited from contacting any co-accused.
His family are also required to lodge a $3.5m surety to ensure he turns up to court and complies with his bail conditions.
The case will return to court in January.
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