Huge amount state is paying to probe ex Federal Court judge

How much is a top investigator costing to probe an ex Federal Court judge? Will the mother of an accused drug king pin lose her house? And how long will a high profile sexual harassment battle be behind closed doors? The Snitch is here.

The mother of alleged drug smuggler Mostafa Baluch has been given a five-day hearing to argue her case as to why she shouldn’t lose the property. Picture: NSW Police.

It has been revealed that it is costing the state $12,000 a month to hire a top investigator who is probing a complaint made against an ex Federal Court judge.

That’s the bill for services of Dr Vivienne Thom, who is leading the investigation.

But given her work as the top investigator who concluded that former High Court judge Dyson Heydon was a creep to six female associates, it might be money well spent.

In response to questions from Greens senator David Shoebridge, the government revealed the investigation into the unnamed Federal Court judge began on May 13, 2024.

As at December 31, 2024, the bill was $86,679.

“The timing of the completion of the investigation is a matter for the investigator,” the government’s response said.

Stay tuned.

Top investigator Dr Vivienne Thom.

HOME BATTLE

It has taken four years, but the battle faced by the mother of accused drug kingpin Mostafa Baluch to save her $4m family home has arrived.

Najeeba Baluch, who put the family’s Northern Beaches mansion on the line to secure her son’s bail on drug smuggling charges, has been given a five day hearing to argue her case as to why she shouldn’t lose the property.

Not too many weeks go by that Snitch doesn’t receive an email from a reader asking what happened to the Bayview property.

Mostafa Baluch. Picture: Richard Dobson

It’s a fair question given it has been so long since Baluch Jr was found in the back of a Mercedes trying to cross the Queensland border after skipping bail in late 2021.

Well, we can reveal that the hearing to decide the matter is scheduled to begin on April 7.

So what’s with the hold up?

Baluch fled not long after being granted bail all the way back in October 2021.

He was caught two weeks later when the cops found him hiding in the car that was in a shipping container on the back of a truck.

Mostafa Baluch after his arrest. Photo: NSW Police

We’re told the matter is not simply a matter of saying Baluch fled so mum loses the property she put up as security.

Ms Baluch is set to mount an argument that she did everything she could to ensure her son abided by his bail conditions and had no idea he was going to do a runner.

And we hear there are witnesses located all over the world on standby to give evidence in the cases.

A similar argument over bail money took place after Penthouse Pet Simone Farrow went on the run.

These cases are rare given it takes a special breed to dud someone who has put millions on the line to secure your freedom.

The only case that springs to mind is that of ex Penthouse Pet, Simone Farrow, who fled to the Gold Coast when she was facing drug charges in NSW.

It created extreme drama for the two men who put up bail for her: barrister Anthony Renshaw (about $50,000) and GP Dr Joe Grech (about $150,000).

They made a similar argument along the lines of doing everything they could to ensure when she appeared and got their money back.

UNDER WRAPS

The sexual harassment battle between high profile lawyer Adam Houda and his former work experience lawyer has gone behind closed doors, but not for long.

Lawyer Hana Seraphim. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

The tribunal that is hearing the case – where lawyer Hana Seraphim has accused Mr Houda of sexually harassing her when she was a student lawyer working in his office – has slapped a non-publication order on the evidence in the case that has been aired so far.

But the non-pub has a very limited time frame.

The Tribunal gave it a sunset clause that expires exactly one week after it hands down its decision.

Stay tuned.