The Daily PulseGeneral
Strict court orders shield federal police giving evidence in gangland murder case
Reported by Aakash Bora (Staff Writer) · ABC News Australia ·
Reported by one source so far
Photo: Wikimedia CommonsCourt Secrecy
Sweeping suppression orders are now hiding large parts of the evidence in a contested Sydney deportation case involving Australian Federal Police officers. Senior police officers are testifying while protected by a special court certificate that stops their testimony from being used to prosecute them if their actions broke Australian or Turkish laws. The Australian Federal Police maintains its actions were lawful, even though prosecutors trying to save the case last week admitted the deportation was illegal.
Legal Battle
Masood Zakaria faces two gangland murder charges and is asking the Supreme Court to permanently dismiss the charges. His lawyers claim he was unlawfully kidnapped from Türkiye in 2023 by private security contractors. Court documents show the Australian Federal Police paid $1.1 million to Skytraders and Hart International to collect Mr Zakaria from Turkish custody and bring him back. Superintendent Jared Taggart, who helped arrange the logistics, faced questioning this week after arriving at court through a secure back entrance in a tinted car with a security detail.
Missing Evidence And Past Escapes
During questioning by barrister Murugan Thangaraj, Superintendent Taggart could not produce certain text messages about involving NSW Police in the operation, stating they might have been lost when he transferred phones. Meanwhile, statements from NSW Police officers show Mr Zakaria fled in December 2021 just a day after arrest warrants were issued. Surveillance footage captured him packing up his Greystanes home and saying goodbye to his wife before police suspect he escaped the country on a fishing boat from Western Australia or Queensland.
Context
Police operations involving private contractors and cross-border returns often face intense legal scrutiny regarding jurisdiction and the boundaries of police powers. Courts examine these methods to ensure that state actions align with domestic and international laws during criminal extraditions.
ExplainerWhy this matters
What Happened
Australian Federal Police officers are giving evidence in a Sydney court under special legal protections while facing intense scrutiny over the 2023 return of alleged gangster Masood Zakaria from Türkiye. Mr Zakaria's legal team argues the operation was an illegal kidnapping carried out by private contractors funded by the police, prompting a high-stakes bid to throw out murder charges.
Why It Matters
This case tests the legal limits of how law enforcement agencies handle international operations and whether they can rely on private security firms to bypass standard extradition procedures. The granting of prosecution certificates to testifying officers and the suppression of key evidence highlight profound questions about accountability, police transparency, and the rule of law in cross-border criminal cases.
What Happens Next
The Supreme Court will decide whether the alleged procedural violations and claims of an unlawful kidnapping warrant a permanent stay of the gangland murder charges against Mr Zakaria. Further hearings will test the legality of the payments made to private security firms and the extent of the evidence suppression orders.
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