Tony Mokbel free to cut ties with ankle bracelet as bail conditions eased
Drug kingpin Tony Mokbel has ditched the ankle bracelet tracking his every move after several of his bail conditions were scrapped thanks to a key policy shift.
Drug kingpin Tony Mokbel has ditched the ankle bracelet tracking his every move after a handful of his bail conditions were sensationally scrapped.
The Herald Sun can reveal that Mokbel and at least one other high-profile accused have had their bail conditions relaxed as private company Allied Universal pulls the plug on its electronic monitoring service for Victorians out on bail.
It comes after the state government launched a crackdown on private companies offering bail services, including GPS monitoring, to cashed-up accused after major concerns were raised with the practice.
Allied Universal is believed to be the last of these companies operating in the state, but is set to shut up shop from October 10.
Mokbel was freed on bail on April 4 – after almost two decades behind bars – pending the outcome of his appeal over three drug trafficking convictions he claims were tainted by Lawyer X Nicola Gobbo.
Mokbel’s release came despite him famously fleeing to Greece while on bail in 2006, costing his sister-in-law her $1m surety.
He spent more than a year on the run before he was arrested and extradited to Australia.
But after five months of compliance with a long list of bail conditions, he successfully applied on September 9 to have the conditions relating to electronic monitoring removed.
These included the conditions that he charge the device, fund the device, comply with any lawful directions by Allied Universal and, most importantly, not remove the device.
The conditions were removed on September 12 by the Supreme Court, with the “consent” of the prosecution.
The Herald Sun understands that he travelled to the city to have the ankle bracelet removed that same day.
He is believed to have paid at least $11,150 upfront to have it fitted back in April.
But Mokbel remains subject to more than a dozen other conditions, including daily reports to Heidelberg police station and an 8pm to 6am curfew.
He is also banned from going within two kilometres of airports.
During his bail application, the court heard the bracelet transmits data about a person’s locations and movements to Allied Universal, who in turn provide information to police.
Alerts would have been issued if he had breached any exclusion zones or his curfew.
Mokbel, who last month celebrated his 60th birthday, has been living with his girlfriend in a property in Viewbank owned by his sister Gawy Saad and her husband.
But it has not been that easy for other accused to vary their bail conditions.
Danny Zayneh, accused of being the Australian head of a transnational organised crime syndicate, was forced before the County Court last week as the prosecution applied to revoke his bail.
Mr Zayneh, who was charged in the “sting of the century” in June 2021, was finally freed on bail in July last year under extremely strict conditions.
But prosecutor Brett Stevens on Wednesday argued that Mr Zayneh should be thrown back behind bars because there was a risk he would flee the country if not electronically monitored.
He told the court Mr Zayneh had the “incentive and capacity” to abscond given his connections to organised crime and, if found guilty, was facing life imprisonment.
But Judge Michael Tinney noted that Mr Zayneh was “still here” and had not breached any of his bail conditions.
His barrister Julie Condon KC, who also represents Mokbel, told the court her client may not face trial for several years, given the legal challenges to the evidence uncovered in the encrypted app AN0M.
Judge Tinney remarked that there may be a “spate” of applications to revoke bail given the crackdown by the state government.
“I’m not satisfied that in the circumstances of this case … it is appropriate for me to revoke his bail,” he said, prompting Mr Zayneh to breathe a sigh of relief.
His bail conditions relating to electronic monitoring were removed, but the father’s freedom remains restricted.
He can only leave his apartment building to report to Footscray police station twice a day or to attend court.
The court heard Mr Zayneh must travel directly from his home to the police station, alerting police prior to each departure and upon each return.
In late August, new laws were passed preventing magistrates and judges from imposing bail conditions that would allow electronic monitoring to be carried out by private companies.
This ban will soon come into effect.
It came after BailSafe, another private company offering electronic monitoring, ceased operation without informing police or courts, while Australian Forensic Treatment Rehabilitation was alleged to have collaborated with organised crime groups to circumvent monitoring provisions.
In late July, Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny said only one private company remained operational and, at the time, was monitoring 14 accused criminals.
However, the Herald Sun understands that the laws were not meant to affect the electronic monitoring conditions imposed on these individuals.
But the decision by Allied Universal to withdraw from Victoria has effectively ended the practice in the state.
It remains unclear whether any of the individuals have had their bail revoked.
Allied Universal was contacted for comment.
