Tony Mokbel’s new bail bid as he attempts to overturn his drug convictions

Drug kingpin Tony Mokbel, 59, has revealed he is in a long-term relationship and offered to post a $500,000 surety in a bid to secure bail as part of his Lawyer X appeal.

Drug kingpin Tony Mokbel will have to abide by strict conditions, including wearing a GPS monitoring device, if released on bail pending his appeal over the Lawyer X scandal, a court has heard.

The notorious gangland figure made a bold bid for bail in Victoria’s Court of Appeal on Tuesday, with his barrister relying on six factors to say exceptional circumstances warranted his release.

Sporting a black suit, Mokbel, 59, was escorted into the court dock by five SESG officers, staring ahead at the judges throughout the hearing.

He had been transferred to court from Barwon Prison in an armoured BearCat vehicle.

Tony Mokbel during his bid for bail on Tuesday. Picture: Supplied

Tony Mokbel says he would abide by strict conditions. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Julie Condon KC told the court her client’s poor physical health and conditions in custody, along with the strength of his appeal which is plagued by significant delays, ought to see him set free.

Ms Condon said bail conditions, including electronic monitoring and a surety, would “reduce an appreciable risk to an acceptable level”.

The court heard Mokbel had strong ties to the community, including a long-term partner.

If released, he would live in a Viewbank unit, northeast of Melbourne, with his sister Gawy Saad.

Ms Saad, 58, defended her older brother, telling the court “he’s done his time” and would not abscond again.

She offered up $750,000 equity from a Yallambie property she owns with her husband, plus a $100,000 bank cheque to secure Mokbel’s release.

Ms Saad said she was fully aware how their other sister lost her $1 million surety when he fled in 2006.

“I’m sure he wouldn’t do it to anyone else,” she said, giving evidence in court.

Asked to clarify what she meant by “it”, she said: “Flee or go against the court.”

“He’s been punished for it. He’s done his time.”

Mokbel’s infamous mugshot after he was arrested. Picture: AFP

When Justice Emerton asked her if she would be prepared to call police if he didn’t comply with his bail conditions, she said: “Absolutely.”

The conditions proposed if he was to be released would be he live with his sister and her husband at their Viewbank home, abide by a 11pm-6am curfew and report to Heidelberg police station daily.

He would also have to wear the GPS anklet, and would be prohibited from leaving Victoria or attending international points of departure.

Allied Universal operations manager Laura Windsor said the company would be able to provide a GPS anklet with around-the-clock monitoring of Mokbel.

The device, currently being used on 142 individuals on bail in Victoria and New South Wales, would provide updates of his GPS coordinates every 90 seconds.

It can also be pre-programmed with exclusion locations and curfew times, Ms Windsor said.

If any violation occurs, she said they can switch to live tracking of his location, which has an accuracy of within two metres.

But she said the service relies on a stable network connection.

“Any location that does not have network coverage would be an issue,” Ms Windsor said.

She said the anklet has up to 38 hours of charge and would need to be recharged by Mokbel daily.

It is monitored by two staff 24-hours a day from New Zealand.

By Tuesday afternoon, the court heard Mokbel will spend at least three more nights in his prison cell before he will learn if he will get bail.

The three Court of Appeal judges will hand down their decision at 10am on Friday.

Mokbel’s legal team arrives at court on Tuesday. Picture: Ian Currie

Mokbel (left) arriving at the Supreme Court of Victoria in November. Picture: AAP Image

At the “heart of the application”, Ms Condon said, was the damning findings made by NSW judge Elizabeth Fullerton in December.

Justice Fullerton found Victoria Police’s use of Gobbo – known as human source 3838 – was part of a “joint criminal enterprise”.

Mokbel, jailed at Barwon Prison since being extradited to Australia from Greece aboard a Gulf Stream jet in 2008, is attempting to quash his convictions due to the Lawyer X scandal.

The gangland figure, 59, has already had one of his convictions quashed because his lawyer, Nicola Gobbo, was used by police as a snitch against him.

He is currently serving a 26-year sentence and is eligible for parole in 2031.

But Mokbel may be back on the streets much earlier if his legal team convinces three justices, including the president of the Appeal Court, Justice Karin Emerton, he deserves bail.

His bail bid is the latest instalment in what has been a marathon legal fight.

Last month even his lawyer, Sarah Tricarico, was charged by police with attempting to pervert the course of justice.

After Mokbel fled his trial in March, 2006, en route to Greece via Bonnie Doon, Gobbo was utilised by police to “roll” several of his criminal associates against him and his illicit drug cartel.

Mokbel later received legal advice from Gobbo after he was apprehended in Greece in 2007, which she passed on to police.

But his push for bail comes after a damning ruling by NSW judge Elizabeth Fullerton in December over Victoria Police’s use of Gobbo.

In that case, police used Gobbo to turn one of Mokbel’s drug cooks against him.

The Fullerton findings could give Mokbel a road map to challenge his remaining drug trafficking convictions committed between 2005 and 2007, known as Quills, Orbital and Magnum.

Mokbel’s appeal is set to be heard this year.

Originally published as Tony Mokbel’s new bail bid as he attempts to overturn his drug convictions