Simon Overland ‘was aware’ Nicola Gobbo was going to snitch on Tony Mokbel

Simon Overland was ‘aware of what was taking place at all stages’ with the Purana Taskforce.

Former Victoria Police chief commissioner Simon Overland arrives at the royal commission at the Fair Work Commission in Melbourne on Tuesday. Picture: AAP

Simon Overland was “aware of what was taking place at all ­stages” with the Purana Taskforce and was possibly told — days ­before barrister Nicola Gobbo ­became a registered informer — that she would provide information about her client, Tony Mokbel, a royal commission previously heard.

Mr Overland, a former Victoria Police commissioner, this week told the Lawyer X royal commission he didn’t know Ms Gobbo was giving information about her own clients, including Mokbel.

But evidence previously given to the commission — including by the former head of the taskforce established to end Melbourne’s gangland war — suggests Mr Overland would have been told she was providing information about Mokbel.

An assistant commissioner at the time of her registration as an informer, he said he had believed Ms Gobbo was not informing on Mokbel, rather others in his ­syndicate, and that “I was not ­following who was representing whom”.

He told the commission he had made it clear Ms Gobbo was not to inform on her clients.

His evidence comes after the former taskforce boss, Jim O’Brien, told the commission about weekly meetings he had with Mr Overland.

Asked if Mr Overland was someone who exercised a degree of control over how things ran, Mr O’Brien told the commission in September: “He was certainly aware of what was taking place at all stages. He was briefed ­accordingly.”

He had noted a meeting he had with Mr Overland on September 12, 2005 — days before Ms Gobbo’s registration as an informer. It was noted as: “Discussion re solicitor Nicola Gobbo and opportunities re Quills”, in reference to an investigation into Mokbel.

Mr O’Brien gave evidence that he “quite possibly” told Mr Overland she seemed to be willing to give police information about Mokbel.

“It was obvious that I was discussing with Mr Overland her coming on board as an informer,” Mr O’Brien said.

Four days after that discussion, a police handler given the pseudonym “Sandy White” recorded a meeting with Ms Gobbo and asked her from the start about Mokbel.

“Tell me everything you know about Tony Mokbel,” the handler said in that first meeting, according to the recording tendered to the royal commission.

The commission also heard that shortly after that meeting, Mr Overland, Mr O’Brien and then police commander Terry Purton discussed Ms Gobbo’s registration as an informer.

Giving evidence to the commission in May, Mr Purton was asked if it was “well known to Victoria Police that she was representing Tony Mokbel”.

“Yes,” Mr Purton replied. “She was representing Mokbel and a couple of others, but the other names I’m not sure (about).”

He agreed that one of the reasons behind her registration was that it was expected that she would provide information she gained from her client, Mokbel.

Counsel assisting the commission Andrew Woods asked: “Part of that information might well be privileged?”

“Yes,” Mr Purton replied.