Court Spares Underworld Figure Tony Mokbel Extra Jail Time
Victoria's highest court has ruled that Tony Mokbel, a notorious underworld figure, will not face additional prison time related to a methamphetamine trafficking scheme.
The Court of Appeal re-sentenced Mokbel to time already served after overturning some of his previous convictions in connection with the Lawyer X scandal. Mokbel, currently on bail, was re-sentenced for running the drug operation, known as "Magnum," between 2006 and 2007 while hiding in Greece and evading Australian police.
Originally sentenced in 2012 to 30 years in prison, including a 20-year term for the Magnum drug operation, Mokbel's sentence was reduced to time served by the Court of Appeal.
Victoria's highest court has ruled Tony Mokbel is no longer a "serious drug offender" and will not force the underworld figure back to prison over the methamphetamine trafficking racket.
At the conclusion of Thursday's hearing, Mokbel kissed his partner and left the court without commenting to the media. This decision marks another major legal victory for Mokbel, who has spent over 6,500 days in custody and moves closer to full freedom.
Mokbel is scheduled to appear later this month in court over a separate drug case.
Author's summary: Tony Mokbel's sentence for a meth trafficking case was reduced to time served, reflecting legal fallout from the Lawyer X scandal and signaling a key step toward his eventual release after thousands of days in custody.