Lawyer X victim sues State of Victoria after ‘scandalous’ police conduct

Lawyer X victim Zlate Cvetanovski, who alleges he was jailed for over 10 years because of “scandalous” police conduct, has sued the State of Victoria.

Legal action has been filed by a man who alleges he was jailed for 11 years because of “scandalous” conduct by police and the involvement of lawyer Nicola Gobbo.

Zlate Cvetanovski, who was in 2011 convicted of drug trafficking linked to the sprawling crime empire of Tony Mokbel, wants damages from the State of Victoria.

His conviction was set aside in 2020 on appeal and replaced with an acquittal verdict.

Gobbo, the barrister who became known as Lawyer X, represented Mr Cvetanovski during the period of the late 2000s in which he was arrested, interviewed and charged by Purana taskforce investigators.

A writ prepared by Robinson Gill Lawyers states a man who can only be known as Mr Cooper made 45 statements against him which resulted in a jury reaching a guilty verdict.

A judge described Mr Cooper’s evidence as “pivotal” but the legal action argues it came after Gobbo influenced him to give evidence.

Ms Gobbo was representing both Mr Cooper and Mr Cvetanovski at the time.

Zlate Cvetanovski has launched legal action against the State. Picture: Mark Stewart

The writ says Ms Gobbo and police paid money above permitted amounts into Mr Cooper’s prison canteen and that one-off payments were handed over for computer and child support.

Ms Gobbo is alleged to have provided police with, among other things, Mr Cvetanovski’s phone numbers and car details, had recommended he be targeted, told them he had 140 litres of methamine, suggested extra charges and advised them to approach his wife because their marriage was failing.

Four police – Craig Hayes, James O’Brien, James Coghlan and Dale Flynn – are named in the legal documents filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday.

Zlate Cvetanovski while in custody.

Tony Mokbel at the Supreme Court.

It is alleged they failed to disclose matters to Mr Cvetanovski which would have enabled him to test any payments made to Mr Cooper, challenge evidence admissibility, question Mr Cooper’s credibility and raise issues related to Ms Gobbo’s alleged breaches of her professional duties.

The writ claims the officers facilitated and encouraged an “egregious breach” of Ms Gobbo’s duties and a fraud against the court and Mr Cvetanovski.

It argues he is entitled to damages for wrongful deprivation of liberty and psychiatric injury, loss of income and that there should be exemplary damages because of police treatment which was “unprecedented”.