Mokbel money man, Zlate Cvetanovski, granted bail after almost 10 years in jail
Newly-freed man Zlate Cvetanovski has told of the “nightmare” of being targeted by Lawyer X 14 years ago, and his relief at walking free from prison today.
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Zlate Cvetanovski said his life has been a “nightmare” since he was targeted by Nicola Gobbo almost 15 years ago.
Walking free from Loddon prison shortly after 4pm after winning bail, the now-freed mate of Mokbel thanked his lawyers who worked tirelessly to “unravel this mess”.
“The past 14 years have been very difficult for me and my family,” Cvetanovski said outside prison.
“I say 14 years because this nightmare started in 2006 when I became a target for Nicola Gobbo,”
“I have much to say, however as the matter is before the courts I am unable to comment further,” he said.
Cvetanovski also thanked his family for their “unconditional love and support” throughout his years behind bars.
Cvetanovski said the first hug with his family outside the walls of jail had been “fantastic”.
He said had been feeling “quite nervous” when the Court of Appeal announced he would be released from prison before becoming “more comfortable and relaxed” at the news of his new found freedom.
The father said he would be celebrating his court win “quietly and simply with family tonight”.
The Mokbel money man and jailed drug runner today became the second person released from prison over the Lawyer X legal scandal.
Zlate Cvetanovski, 56, has spent almost a decade behind bars after he was convicted of commercial drug trafficking in 2011.
But after a win in the Court of Appeal this morning, Cvetanovski was granted bail while he continues his fight to quash his conviction, arguing barrister turned police informer Nicola Gobbo tainted his case.
The minion in Tony Mokbel’s drug empire was sentenced to 11 years jail but was due for release on parole in August.
The court today ruled there was a “risk of real injustice” if he remained behind bars beyond this period while he waits for his appeal to be heard.
“The applicant raises very serious issues of the fairness of his trial regarding disclosure (of evidence),” Justice David Beach said.
Cvetanovski appeared via video link during the brief hearing and will be released from prison today with a $400,000 surety stumped up by his ex-wife.
Cvetanovski is one of several jailed Melbourne underworld players fighting to have their convictions thrown out over the involvement of Ms Gobbo.
He will argue the underworld barrister conspired with a key witness to make statements against him while secretly acting as a police agent.
Cvetanovski has claimed Ms Gobbo was also giving him legal advice at the same time she was acting for the witness who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Last week his barrister Julie Condon QC told the court the evidence of the witness was “pivotal” in her client’s trial.
“The case quite clearly stood or fell on (their) word,” Ms Condon said.
Justice Beach said the court could not yet make an assessment on the merits of his case, but it does regard the grounds of appeal as “reasonably arguable”.
“It seems not to be in dispute that, had (Cvetanovski) been aware of Ms Gobbo’s activities at the time of his trial, he would have had available to him powerful additional materials for use in challenging both the admissibility and the veracity of the evidence of the principal witness against him,” the court ruled.
But the paramount reason for granting bail was the “imminent expiration” of Cvetanovski’s non-parole term, the court said.
“The fundamental principle is one of fairness,” Justice Beach said.
“Bail is granted in order to avoid the injustice which would arise should (the prisoner) end up serving more time in custody than would be lawfully justified in the event that the appeal succeeds,” he said.
Cvetanovski has served almost a decade behind bars after he was arrested by gangland detectives on multiple occasions between April, 2006 and February, 2009 following intel provided by Gobbo which helped locate clandestine drug laboratories the Mokbel gang ran in Strathmore and Preston.
The Director of Public Prosecutions did not argue there was any risk of Cvetanovski interfering with witnesses, committing an offence while on bail or endangering the safety or welfare of any person.
Faruk Orman last year became the first person to walk from prison over the Lawyer X scandal after his conviction for a gangland murder was overturned.
Mr Orman spent 12 years behind bars for a role in the 2002 underworld murder of Victor Peirce that he’s always denied.
Victoria’s Court of Appeal quashed his conviction last July because of a “substantial miscarriage of justice” caused by the force’s reliance on Ms Gobbo.
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