Orkopoulos refused second bid for bail
FORMER NSW Minister Milton Orkopoulos has been refused bail for a second time by a Newcastle court after being charged earlier this week with 21 new child-sex and drug related offences.
FORMER NSW Minister Milton Orkopoulos has been refused bail for a second time by a Newcastle court after being charged earlier this week with 21 new child-sex and drug related offences.
Magistrate Richard Wakeley said that the prosecution case was strengthened by the laying of the fresh charges and that the protection of the community was paramount.
The new charges take the total number faced by Mr Orkopoulos to 54.
He was first charged last November with offences including alleged homosexual intercourse with boys under the age of 18 and four counts of procuring by drug for prostitution.
Despite this morning's unsuccessful bail application, the magistrate indicated that the former politician would "probably be granted bail" if a friend of relative signed a declaration stating that they would stay in the company of Mr Orkopoulos at all times when he was not in the presence of his mother, with whom he was living until his arrest on Monday.
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