Tony Mokbel’s appeal case must be ‘top priority’, cops told
Victoria Police has been put on notice to treat drug lord Tony Mokbel’s bid to appeal his conviction as a matter of “urgency”. It comes as Gobbo’s “reputation” of being “social” with police members is probed in today’s royal commission hearings.
Victoria Police has been put on notice to treat drug lord Tony Mokbel’s bid to appeal his conviction as a matter of “urgency”.
Judges will be placed on standby to deal with the matter as thousands of documents relating to the drug king pin’s relationship with barrister-turned-informer Nicola Gobbo are shifted through by a dedicated team of barristers and solicitors.
Lawyers representing Mokbel, Victoria Police, the director of public prosecutions and the royal commission into police informants fronted the Court of Appeal this morning for a mention.
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It comes as Gobbo’s “reputation” of being “social” with police members is probed in today’s royal commission hearings.
The court heard Mokbel’s legal team were still waiting on documents to be provided by Victoria Police in order to proceed with their application and make their case.
“We have consulted with (the Directors) on whether it might be possible to agree on a set of facts or assumptions with which we might proceed,” Mokbel’s barrister, Richard Maidment QC told the court.
“With the best will in the world we haven’t been able to do that,” he said.
Court of Appeal president Chris Maxwell AC said that the application by Mokbel, along with two other of Ms Gobbo’s former clients — Rob Karam and Zlate Cvetanovski — must be dealt with as a “top priority”.
“These matters are of the highest public importance,” Justice Maxwell said.
The court heard while the thousands of documents were being sought by the royal commission, his honour urged police to focus their investigations into the three matters currently before the courts.
“It is for this court, given the position the commission finds itself in, to investigate the underling facts without delay,” Justice Maxwell said.
“The documents relating to these three applicants must be identified as a matter of top priority,”
“Other work, if necessary, will need to cease,” he said.
The court ordered a report outlining a summary off all relevant documents relating to Mokbel’s case must be provided by May 28.
Brendan Murphy QC for Victoria Police said it had taken two people more than three months to sort through “literally thousands of documents” but were hopeful to have a progress report by the deadline.
Mokbel, who is currently serving a 30-year jail term for drug trafficking, was not present in court.
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A police officer involved in operations which targeted the Mokbel drug cartel, was heard today in royal commission proceedings.
Operation Matchless arrested and charged a key Mokbel drug cook over manufacturing houses in Rye and Pascoe Vale — that cook was arrested again in 2006 and he went on to give evidence against the Mokbel drug cartel.
The cook was represented by Gobbo throughout the 2000s and it was now known she provided substantial information to Victoria Police about his operations.
Detective Senior Constable David Bartlett told the Royal Commission that after the cook’s 2006 arrest, Gobbo had phoned three times while the Cook was in police custody giving statements against his criminal associates.
Detective Senior Constable David Bartlett said at the time he had no idea Gobbo was a registered informer.
He said if he had known that would have been cause for alarm.
He said at the time Gobbo had a “reputation” of being “social” with police members.
“She was very social with police member and members of the legal fraternity, in a social capacity — if it was have a beer after hours, that was her reputation.”
“It was not uncommon that you would see Ms Gobbo at the court and she would be involved in conversations with other members and there would be some laughter.
“It was her reputation that she would occasionally go out with members after court and have a drink, could be just having a beer, but that was her reputation.”