Tony Mokbel, one of Australia’s most infamous gangland figures, has made a bold move to secure his release on bail by offering a $500,000 surety.
The 59-year-old, currently serving a 26-year sentence for drug trafficking, appeared in court on Tuesday, proposing strict conditions, including GPS tracking, as part of his appeal linked to the notorious “Lawyer X” scandal.
Mokbel, who was transported to the courtroom in a heavily armoured Victoria Police BearCat vehicle, is seeking freedom ahead of his upcoming appeal hearing. This would mark his first taste of liberty since his arrest in Greece in 2007. Dressed in a sharp black suit and blue tie, the convicted drug lord smiled, winked, and waved to supporters as he entered the court, escorted by four Special Operations Group officers.
Currently imprisoned since 2012 after pleading guilty to trafficking MDMA and methamphetamine, Mokbel is now challenging all his convictions. His case hinges on revelations that his former lawyer, Nicola Gobbo—known as “Lawyer X”—was secretly informing Victoria Police while representing him, a fact he was unaware of at the time.
A High-Stakes Bail Request
Mokbel’s barrister, Julie Condon KC, told the Court of Appeal that her client has offered a $500,000 property in Yallambie as surety. Justice Jane Dixon questioned whether Mokbel could provide additional equity, prompting a pause in proceedings for further consultation. Condon emphasised that Mokbel is willing to comply with “stringent bail conditions,” including wearing a GPS monitoring device and residing at a stable address in Viewbank, northeast of Melbourne.
Condon argued that Mokbel’s strong family ties, including a supportive family and a long-term partner, anchor him to the area. She outlined seven exceptional circumstances justifying his release, including the timing of his appeal, his declining health, and the conditions of his imprisonment. With his non-parole period set to end in 2031 and his appeal slated for late this year, Condon stressed that Mokbel will have served a significant portion of his sentence before the court rules on his case.
“It is not a minor issue that the applicant may have already served much of his non-parole sentence by the time his appeal is heard,” she told the court.
The “Lawyer X” Scandal
The hearing brought renewed attention to the explosive “Lawyer X” controversy. Condon cited a scathing pre-appeal ruling by New South Wales Judge Elizabeth Fullerton from December, which condemned Victoria Police and Gobbo for their actions. Fullerton’s judgment described a “joint criminal enterprise” between police and Gobbo that perverted justice by securing Mokbel’s conviction. The judge also criticized police for failing to seek legal advice before registering Gobbo as an informer.
“The use of a practicing criminal barrister as a registered informer by Victoria Police was unprecedented,” Condon said, quoting Fullerton’s findings.
Gobbo, who served as Mokbel’s lawyer for four years before he fled to Greece in 2006, was a police informer from 2005 to 2009. Even after his extradition in 2008, she continued advising him, with Mokbel only learning of her betrayal in 2018 when the High Court lifted suppression orders.
A Criminal Saga Continues
Mokbel’s arrest in Greece in June 2007 marked the end of a dramatic escape from Australia, where he faced multiple drug trafficking charges. Extradited back to Melbourne, he has remained behind bars ever since. Now, as he fights to overturn his convictions, the case shines a spotlight on one of Australia’s most controversial legal scandals.
The hearing, presided over by Justices Karin Emerton, Robert Osborn, and Jane Dixon, is ongoing, with the court yet to rule on Mokbel’s bail application.
(Source: ABC News)