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FARUK’S CONVICTION QUASHED OVER ‘LAWYER-X’ SCANDAL
26 July, 2019
By SJA Jafri (Courtesy Messenger)
CANBERRA/ MELBOURNE: At last, one again, Messenger’s reporting proved hundred percent correct but despite the Messenger’s worth, its credibility and weight and beside the concerned journalist’s significance, professional talent and vision, “the entire Australian police, prosecution, judicial and justice system has not only exposed but also at high risk” while “the ‘Lawyer X’ scandal has become a question mark for the whole country’s administration system as well as nation” which definitely called an “odious fleck” on the forehead of Australia and neither this worst practice never happened across the world yet even in world most poorest countries nor may take place in future globally, “it’s called Australia”, dozens of international legal experts, retired judges and general people belong different walks of life told Messenger in continuation to the release of Faruk Orman after twelve years from a Victorian prison hence, they further revealed that the Messenger has already been exposing all these official criminal activities, state terrorism and public wrongdoings since last six years on regular basis but “the dog’s tail stays crooked even if he is buried for ‘twelve’ years.”
It would be better here for readers and future record to present a report of BBC rather than Messenger’s story.
BBC reports; an Australian man’s conviction for a gangland murder has been quashed, after a high-profile scandal where his lawyer was revealed to be a police informant.
Faruk Orman, 37, was freed on Friday after serving 12 years in jail for the killing of a Melbourne crime figure.
It was the first legal test of the so-called “Lawyer X” informant scandal, which is now the focus of a major inquiry into police conduct.
Some of Australia’s most high-profile convictions have been cast into doubt.
In a significant ruling on Friday, appeal judges found that Orman had suffered a “substantial miscarriage of justice” due to the actions of his lawyer, Nicola Gobbo.
What is the ‘Lawyer X’ scandal?
Last year, court documents revealed that an unidentified barrister – dubbed Lawyer X – had worked as an informant for Victoria Police during 2005-2009.
That lawyer was publicly identified as Ms Gobbo in March, after a court ruled it was in the public interest. Police had fought to keep her name a secret.
Ms Gobbo had represented key criminal figures in Melbourne during an era when police were under significant pressure to bring an end to gangland violence.
Her exposure as a police informant has rocked Victoria’s justice system and prompted a royal commission inquiry.
The inquiry follows the High Court of Australia stating that Victoria Police had been guilty of “reprehensible conduct” by encouraging “Ms Gobbo” to provide information about her clients.
What happened in this case?
In 2009, Orman was convicted of helping to plan the 2002 shooting murder of Victor Peirce and acting as a driver for the hitman who carried it out.
The conviction had relied substantially on the evidence of one witness who claimed that Orman had confessed to the crime.
However, Victoria’s Court of Appeal heard that witness had also been a client of Gobbo’s at the time and she had arranged for him to testify against Orman.
“Gobbo’s conduct subverted Orman’s right to a fair trial, and went to the very foundations of the system of criminal trial,” the court said in its judgment on Friday.
Are other convictions at risk?
The inquiry is investigating this issue, but local media reports that at least 20 criminal convictions could face scrutiny.
Gobbo’s clients included high-profile crime boss Tony Mokbel, who was jailed in 2012 for masterminding a drug-trafficking operation, and six of his associates.
Mokbel and two others convicted of drug offences – Rob Karam and Zlate Cvetanovski – have already launched appeals from prison.
