(14 Jul 2007)
1. Various exteriors of Athens courthouse with cars and people passing
2. Police van leaving the courthouse (NOTE: This is not the van carrying Tony Mokbel)
3. Tony Mokbel’s girlfriend, Danielle McGuire, walking by with baby and other members of his family
4. McGuire walking through gate carrying baby
5. Yiannis Vlachos, Mokbel’s lawyer standing outside court talking with reporters
6. SOUNDBITE: (Greek) Yiannis Vlachos, Mokbel’s lawyer:
“The court was postponed until the 24th of July because of a strike by the official court translators. Yesterday, the Greek Judiciary received Australia’s request for his extradition. It is in the hands of a judiciary panel and we await for the first court date to be set to discuss the request.”
7. Vlachos standing outside court talking with reporters
8. SOUNDBITE: (Greek) Yiannis Vlachos, Mokbel’s lawyer:
“His opinion is that the evidence with which which the Australians are trying to back up the two charges of murder is non-existent – they are based on two eyewitness accounts from people whom he has never seen in his life and with whom he has nothing to do. And, of course, he strongly denies that he has ever had any involvement in murder.”
9. Exteriors of courthouse with cars passing
10. Mokbel, handcuffed, being escorted towards police bus, UPSOUND: reporter asking if he will fight extradition request, A: Mokbel saying “All the way”
11. Wide of bus
12. Police closing door of bus
13. Mid shot of windows of bus
14. Bus driver
15. Various of bus leaving
STORYLINE:
Australian drug fugitive Tony Mokbel had his trial for passport forgery postponed on Friday because of a strike by court translators in Greece, officials said.
Mokbel, who skipped bail in March 2006 while on trial in Australia on drugs charges, appeared at the brief hearing in an Athens courtroom, where he was scheduled to be tried on the misdemeanour charge of forgery and possession of a false passport and driver’s license.
The case was rescheduled for July 24, Mokbel’s Greek lawyer, Yiannis Vlachos told reporters outside Athens courthouse on Friday.
If convicted, Mokbel would face a maximum sentence of 12 months.
Greek authorities are also considering a formal request by Australian authorities to extradite Mokbel to Australia to face drug trafficking and murder charges. The extradition request was received Thursday and is being considered by a judiciary panel before a court date is set to discuss the matter.
The 41-year-old Mokbel was convicted in absentia in Australia of cocaine smuggling – with a minimum sentence of nine years – and was subsequently charged with the murder of a Melbourne underworld figure, Lewis Moran.
He has also been implicated in a second murder, of drug dealer Michael Marshall.
These charges figure among the 20 formal charges awaiting him in Australia in the event of his return, 13 of which were announced Friday.
Vlachos said Mokbel strongly denied any connection with the two murders.
“His opinion is that the evidence with which which the Australians are trying to back up the two charges of murder is non-existent – they are based on two eyewitness accounts from people whom he has never seen in his life and with whom he has nothing to do,” Vlachos added.
After the hearing Mokbel insisted the charges had been trumped up and vowed to fight extradition “all the way”.
Mokbel was arrested last month while sitting in a cafe in the affluent seaside Athens suburb of Glyfada. He is now incarcerated in high-security Korydallos prison.

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