A gangland lawyer charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice has been allowed to vary her bail so she can go on a family holiday.
Sarah Tricarico, who acted for drug kingpin in his Lawyer X appeal, faced Melbourne Magistrates Court for a brief hearing today.
The 38-year-old was last week charged alongside Youssef Samaan Raffoul, 33, with attempting to pervert the course of justice.
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Police say the charges were linked to information uncovered during a 2021 Operation Ironside investigation, which monitored communications shared using the AN0M app.
The app was set up by authorities under the guise of offering organised crime figures a safe encrypted messaging service when in reality it was being monitored by the AFP and FBI.
During today’s brief hearing, Tricarico’s barrister Dermot Dann KC sought to remove the conditions on her bail which stopped her from leaving the country.
He told the court his client had an overseas holiday already booked with her mother and son.
Magistrate Michelle Hodgson granted the variation as it was not opposed by police, but she refused the prosecutor’s push for more time to provide the brief of evidence to defence.
Dann argued for a shorter time frame, telling the court his client had been suspended from practising as a solicitor and she wanted to fight the charges.
“She maintains her innocence,” he said.
“She wants the matter to proceed as quickly as it possibly can.”
Hodgson denied the request for the case to be expedited, instead giving police the usual six-week time frame to compile the evidence.
Tricarico and Raffoul, who is also on bail, are both due to return to Melbourne Magistrates Court in June.
Tricarico has been representing gangland figure Tony Mokbel since at least 2017 in his appeal against his drug trafficking convictions.
Mokbel claims barrister Nicola Gobbo tainted his case as she was giving him legal advice while also informing on him to Victoria Police.
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