The Snitch: Lloyd Babbs takes DDP job in Northern Territory
Do you ever wake at night wondering: ‘What’s happened to ex-NSW Director of Public Prosecutions, Lloyd Babb?’
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Do you ever wake at night wondering: ‘What’s happened to ex-NSW Director of Public Prosecutions, Lloyd Babb?’
Don’t worry, that’s what they pay The Snitch for.
We can tell you that Babb has headed north and landed the job of the Northern Territory’s DPP, which he starts on March 14.
Many predicted Babb would be appointed a judge in the NSW Supreme Court or even the High Court.
We heard some gossip outgoing Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Bathurst wasn’t a huge Babb fan.
But another insider rubbished that and said Babb is cut from a different cloth to many heavy hitters in the legal fraternity and simply didn’t want to be a judge.
In his 10 years as NSW DPP he rarely engaged with the Sydney media or the public (Was it something we said?)
At last check, Babb was certainly looking ready for an NT stint with wild man makeover in the form of a rugged beard and a hat that looked more Indiana Jones than Mick Dundee.
BULLDOGS LEGENDS’ LEGAL BATTLE
An intriguing cast of characters are starting to emerge in the long list of dramas faced by Canterbury Bulldogs luminaries Chris Anderson and Kevin Moore.
Chief among those is a former stockbroker who was given a 12-year sentence for smuggling $30 million of cocaine into Australia in 2004.
According to documents filed in the NSW Supreme Court, former Macquarie banker Ian Robert Chalmers played a key role in putting the two NRL identities on a path that led to them defending a million dollar court case.
In his affidavit filed with the court, Mr Moore said Chalmers was insistent on giving him advice when he and Mr Anderson were establishing a labour hire company in 2016, known as ART.
“Mr Chalmers repeatedly suggested … that instead of using our personal funds to finance ART’s business growth, we should consider obtaining a (loan) facility through AXL with Mr Roths,” Mr Moore wrote.
AXL was a money lending company run by Oliver Roths. And guess what? Roths was given a seven-year sentence for fraud and perjury in 2010.
As a side issue, Roths told the Federal Court last March that Chalmers was his partner in a number of businesses, including a medical supply operation.
Anderson and Moore borrowed $500,000 from Roths’ company at a high interest rate in 2016, which is where the real problems began.
By 2019, the amount Roths claimed they owed had ballooned to more than $770,000 with monthly interest of up to $14,000.
In his affidavit, Moore claimed the amount was “wrong and grossly inflated”.
He also wrote there had been more than $100,000 of unauthorised drawdowns on the account.
In 2019, Roths sued and asked the court to force the two ex-NRL coaches to pay him $1.3 million. He also asked the court to give him possession of Moore’s home.
The case was discontinued last May.
As a postscript, Moore and Anderson are still being pursued in the Supreme Court by the Australian Taxation Office and the liquidation of their labour hire operation continues.
Meanwhile, Roths is now suing Chalmers in the Sydney District Court for almost $600,000 over an unrelated loan he alleges he made to the former banker.
HOLY MOSES, A NO FROM ARTHUR
His girlfriend Gladys Berejiklian might have just taken a new job, but that doesn’t mean barrister Arthur Moses SC will be doing the same.
You can cross his name off the list of people who might replace outgoing Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Bathurst who retires next month.
Moses is in a bruising defamation case representing decorated Australian war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith against Nine Entertainment.
We’re told several senior legal types sounded out Mr Moses. But it is understood Mr Moses still has unfinished business as a barrister. An insider said Justice Julie Ward “is 7/4” to take the job.
Got a snitch? Contact brenden.hills@news.com.au
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