Accused drug kingpin Ivan Tesic’s quest to reveal snitches who ‘rolled over’ to police

ACCUSED Gold Coast nightclub drug kingpin Ivan Tesic is fighting to find out who “rolled over” to police and gave them evidence against him.

Court

ACCUSED Gold Coast nightclub drug kingpin Ivan Tesic is fighting to find out who “rolled over” to police and gave evidence against him.

Police had tried to keep ­secret a 16-hour recording from the witness but this week Tesic’s lawyers were given a transcript of the ­interview.

The alleged “Mr Big” of the Glitter Strip’s biggest drug trafficking syndicate investigation faced Southport Magistrates Court for the first time in months yesterday.

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Tesic’s case has been delayed for months after his lawyers became aware of the “huge” recording from a “rollover” the prosecution had tried to keep secret.

But this week Tesic’s team finally received the transcript of the conversation between police and the witness, who cannot be named.

Tesic, arrested in April last year, was allegedly head of a syndicate and one of more than 150 people taken into custody during a major police operation into the drug trade in Coast nightclubs that seized $26 million worth of drugs and millions of dollars in assets.

Yesterday the prosecution asked for the court to be closed while the evidence was ­discussed.

The transcript is understood to include the names of other people in the syndicate.

Tesic’s solicitor Ali Abbas said they would now fight to have parts of the transcript that were taken out included in the evidence.

Solicitor Ali Abbas and Ivan Tesic (right). Picture: Mike Batterham

“We ended up getting what we wanted – there should be full disclosure – that’s the way the law works,” he said.

“We weren’t told there was a secret recording until it came out in cross-examination.

“The police had hidden evidence from us.

“Parts of the recording had disclosed certain bits of information the prosecution didn’t want us to know about.”

Outside court Tesic said “This is (expletive),” but refused to comment any further.

Tesic is on Supreme Court bail on a $1.4 million surety and under strict conditions that he live with his ex-wife and son in Sydney and stay inside between 9pm and 6am, reporting twice a day to police.

He was arrested at Sydney Airport in April last year when police closed Operation Kilo Fraction, a 19-month investigation into alleged bikie and organised crime links to Coast’s nightclub drug trade.

Authorities seized Tesic’s $730,000 Surfers Paradise Hilton unit, his Harley-Davidson and a vintage Holden.

They also froze $500,000 he had gifted to friends.

The case has been set down for a committal hearing on December 14.