Sudanese immigration detainee arrested over repeat curfew breaches
A Sudanese-born man has been arrested just two days after being freed on bail by the Brisbane Magistrates’ Court.
You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback.
An immigration detainee has been remanded in custody just two days after being released on bail by the Brisbane Magistrates' Court.
Walter Bongomin, 36, was charged by the Australian Federal Police on Sunday after he allegedly breached his curfew conditions again.
The Sudanese-born man was previously charged on Friday with six counts of failing to comply with requirements to remain at a particular address before being freed on bail.
On Monday, the accused appeared before Magistrate Julian Noud and Magistrate Belinda Merrin at the Brisbane Arrest Court, charged with a further two counts of failing to comply with a curfew condition.
He was remanded in custody and will appear at the Brisbane Magistrates’ Court in October.
Bongomin was extradited to NSW in 2021 after being arrested for entering Queensland without having an appropriate border pass during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Department of Home Affairs then revoked his visa on bad character grounds and he was placed in immigration detention until the landmark NZYQ ruling, which led to 159 detainees being released back into the community.
During the incident in 2021, Bongomin was arrested after allegedly speeding through a border checkpoint in Queensland and evading police.
Queensland Police had returned the then 33-year-old to NSW, but less than two hours later he was allegedly spotted hitchhiking and busted by police after crossing the border.
Almost three years later, he was arrested in Queensland again.
The Department of Home Affairs has been approached for comment.
The Australian had previously revealed a quarter of the foreign offenders freed under the controversial High Court ruling were charged with a crime since their release, piling pressure on Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to ask the courts to re-detain the released criminals.
At least 40 out of the 159 former detainees were slapped with a criminal charge since their release in November.
Dutton nuclear plan ‘economic madness’
Jim Chalmers has fired the first salvo in what is likely to be a sustained campaign of economic attacks by Labor on Peter Dutton’s nuclear plan, to be driven by the Treasurer himself.
China envoy: respect our claims
China’s top diplomat in Canberra has challenged Australia to remedy ‘misunderstandings’ on Taiwan and show ‘respect’ for Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.