Mokbel fights for freedom in first appearance since prison bashing
Underworld kingpin Tony Mokbel has made his first public appearance since surviving a brutal prison bashing, looking in good spirits and taking notes as he fights for freedom on the back of the Lawyer X scandal.
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Gangland drug lord Tony Mokbel has appeared publicly for the first time since a vicious prison bashing as it is revealed he is continuing to be housed in round the clock protection.
Mokbel appeared at the Court of Appeal via videolink today where he is seeking to challenge his drug trafficking conviction on the back of the Lawyer X scandal.
Dressed in a suit and tie Mokbel looked in good spirits, stood and bowed for the judges, and took notes during this morning’s short mention hearing called by the court to monitor the progress of the appeal.
Richard Maidment, QC, for Mokbel, said the former underworld boss was being frustrated by authorities refusal to let him have a computer in his cell to work on the case.
He said six letters had been written to corrections staff urging them to reconsider the position but each was met with “no meaningful response”.
Mr Maidment also revealed Mokbel was being kept in isolation and was banned from socialising with any other prisoners because of fears for his safety.
He said evidence before the Lawyer X royal commission had sparked serious safety concerns.
Mokbel was left fighting for life following a frenzied jailhouse stabbing in February inside Barwon Prison’s exercise yard.
Teira Bennett and Eldea Teuira, both 21, pleaded guilty to intentionally causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence after a charge of attempted murder was dropped in a plea deal with prosecutors.
Mokbel was king-hit then stabbed while being kicked in the head.
As prison officers ran towards the commotion, the pair were heard yelling “You’re not an enforcer, this is what you get for talking to the screws you f...ing dog.”
The attack followed a Sunday Herald Sun report that revealed Mokbel had intervened in a prison standover scheme, disrupting an extortion racket being run by Pacific Islander inmates.
Prison officers visited the underworld figure the same day to ask if he had any concerns regarding the report.
Mokbel told staff he was not concerned and believed someone was just “out to make money”.
The next day, CCTV captured Mokbel attending the 21st birthday party of Teuira during which the men “briefly embraced” and chatted.
About an hour later Bennett and Teuira launched their attack on their unsuspecting victim.
Mokbel was left with critical injuries that required him to undergo an emergency craniotomy, and he was placed in an induced coma for four days.
His recovery was further complicated by a lung infection.
Court of Appeal president Chris Maxwell said today the appeal was progressing at a “satisfactory” speed.
The court previously ordered Victoria Police, who must handover documents relating to the drug kingpin’s relationship with barrister-turned-informer Nicola Gobbo, to treat Mokbel’s bid to appeal as a matter of “urgency”.
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It comes as Mokbel underling Zlate Cvetanovski has indicated he almost has enough evidence to bring on an appeal.
Cvetanovski lodged an appealed in April to his prison term for drug trafficking due to the Lawyer X saga and is awaiting document from Victoria Police to show the extent of her impact on his 2011 trial.
Ian Freckleton, QC, for Victoria Police said officers’ diaries should be released to Cvetanovski’s legal team in September and a significant number of “informer contact reports” by October.
He said police were reviewing more than 10,000 pages of transcripts of conversation Gobbo had with handlers, which should be provided to Cvetanovski by the end of November.
Michael Pena Rees for Mr Cvetanovski said his client was unhappy with the time it has taken for the disclosure of documents and the “ongoing delays.”
Court of Appeal President Chris Maxwell said progress in producing document “was as good as could be expected.”
Justice Maxwell said he was satisfied police had devoted sufficient resources to the task.