Lawyer retains right to represent Tony Mokbel

Sarah Tricarico, a suspended lawyer, can keep representing her client Tony Mokbel in upcoming legal hearings. A Supreme Court judge allowed her to return to work under supervision while she fights her suspension. Tricarico was suspended without warning on March 14 after being charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice. The charges are linked to events from over six years ago. The judge noted that there was no risk of her re-offending and highlighted the importance of access to legal help in court. Under the ruling, Tricarico can only work with current clients and must not take on new cases. She will be supervised by another lawyer, Stephen Andrianakis. Tricarico has represented Mokbel for nine years and is working on his bail application, which is due in April. Mokbel expressed concern that Tricarico's suspension could jeopardize his chances of being released on bail. He emphasized her extensive knowledge of his case, which involves a complicated legal history. His appeals against drug trafficking convictions will be heard by the Victorian Court of Appeal later this year. The charges against Tricarico and her co-accused stem from an international police operation. They allegedly planned to delete information from a phone used by another person before his arrest in 2019. The Legal Services Board argues that public trust in the legal system requires immediate action in such cases. A trial concerning Tricarico’s suspension is scheduled for April 16, and the criminal case will return to court in June.