A Crown appeal against the inadequacy of a fine imposed in relation to breaches of maritime safety of a tourist-carrying vessel was successful, resulting in an increase in the fine imposed on the defendant company from $25,000 to $40,000.
In mid 2020, Mr Ali was sentenced on charges but the Crown filed an appeal against the adequacy of this sentence. On 18 December the Court of Appeal upheld the Crown appeal.
Investigators discovered 1.4 tonnes of pure MDMA concealed in tomato tins in a shipping container in Melbourne. In November 2019 the Commonwealth Attorney-General referred the whole of Mr Visser’s case to the Court of Appeal to be heard and determined as if it were a fresh appeal. On 18 December 2020, the Court of Appeal dismissed Mr Visser’s appeal.
Mr Phillip Galea was charged with one count of doing acts in preparation for, or planning a terrorist act and one count of attempting to collect or make a document likely to facilitate a terrorist act.
Mr Muldoon, a qualified plumber, committed the fraud under the Commonwealth ‘Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme’, lodging forms falsely stating that he installed air source heat pumps at various residences around Queensland.
In recent years, there has been a steady increase in referrals from the NSW Police in relation to matters involving Commonwealth drug and precursor importation charges. However, in 2019‑20 increase rose dramatically.
Five people have been sentenced following a series of investigations over an eight year period by the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Taxation Office.
Judge Julie Dick SC sentenced 55 year old former Townsville financial advisor, Mr Anthony Dick to eight years imprisonment with a non-parole period of two years and eight months.
A 25 year old Adelaide woman has had her conviction on a terrorism offence reinstated following the CDPP’s successful High Court appeal against orders directing her acquittal.
Four Melbourne men (Paul Ngo, William Do, Huy Hoang and Tony Tran) have been sentenced for their roles in operating a drug syndicate in Melbourne’s western suburbs in mid 2018.
Operation Sunrise targeted a transnational syndicate involved in importing heroin to Australia and trafficking heroin in Melbourne. The investigation also uncovered trafficking of methamphetamine in Melbourne.
The offender pleaded guilty to two offences of causing bribes totalling AUD129,500 to be paid to foreign public officials, contrary to section 70.2(1)(a)(ii) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
On 18 August 2020, Mr Daniel Mark Knowles was convicted of online child exploitation offences relating to two female children under 16 years residing in the United Kingdom (UK) – both of whom were his previous students while he was working as a teacher in the UK.
On 24 July 2019, the Supreme Court of Victoria sentenced Mr Ahmed Mohamed (26), Mr Abdullah Chaarani (28) and Mr Hatim Moukhaiber (31) to lengthy prison terms for engaging in a terrorist act contrary to s101.1(1) of the Criminal Code 2010 (Cth). The terrorist act involved setting fire to a Shia mosque in suburban Melbourne on 11 December 2016.
Between 18 July 2016 and 10 February 2018, Michael Ming Jinn Ho traded in the shares and options of Big Un Limited while in possession of inside information and on 14 October 2016 he communicated inside information to an associate.
On 31 July 2020, following a lengthy investigation conducted by corporate regulator ASIC the NSW District Court sentenced former financial advisor Mr Graeme Miller to six years imprisonment, with a non-parole period of four years, for conducting a Ponzi Scheme.
The prosecution process can be very challenging and stressful for victims of crime. To assist victims of crime and their families, the CDPP provides a specialised Witness Assistance Service (WAS).
In a landmark case, the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd, trading as CommInsure, was fined $700,000 on 28 November 2019 after earlier pleading guilty to 87 counts of offering to sell insurance products in the course of unlawful, unsolicited telemarketing calls. This conduct is known as “hawking”.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Fraud Taskforce was established in July 2018 to tackle fraud committed against the scheme. It is a joint operation involving the National Disability Insurance Agency, Services Australia and the AFP, with the CDPP participating as an advisory member.
In two unrelated but strikingly similar terrorism cases, radicalised individuals were jailed for 42 and 36 years on 5 June 2019, after carrying out stabbing attacks.
