“Jailed crime fighter Mark Standen has applied for bail"
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| Mark Standen … charged. Photo: Jon Reid |
Standen and Einfeld are two of the more notorious names in Australia's justice system. One was the NSW Crime Commission's senior on-the-ground investigator, a 34-year veteran of the drug wars, charged for the very crimes he tried to stamp out. The other was an esteemed human rights activist and federal court judge who scorned the laws he once upheld. But Standen and Einfeld have more in common than just a dramatic fall from grace. They also share a jail cell. Or more accurately, they share a kitchenette and a small exercise yard which adjoin their individual cells in a high security compound in NSW, which cannot be named for legal reasons. And together they wile away the hours playing Scrabble, completing the crossword and braving the mockery and insults of other inmates when they venture into the communal yard.
Standen was arrested at his desk in June last year, and he has been held in solitary confinement since. Now clinically depressed, he agreed with Crown prosecutor Tim Game SC who characterised the bail application as being on the basis that he was "doing it tough" on the inside. "`I'm aware that I am considerably more anxious," Mr Standen said of his mental health. "I don't like being locked up is the bottom line of it."
Einfeld, who was jailed for three years in March after pleading guilty to charges of perjury and making a false statement with intent to pervert the course of justice, was referred to in court yesterday as
"Inmate A".
In challenging how onerous Mr Standen's prison conditions were, Mr Game asked if Inmate A was "an anti-social person?"
"No," Mr Standen responded.
"Engaging?" "Yes."
"Intelligent?" "Yes."
"Interesting?" (Long pause.) "Yes."
"It's not as if you're sharing time with a sociopath or psychopath?"
"I'm assuming not", Mr Standen replied with a wry smile.
Later, outside the court, prosecutors confirmed that Inmate A was Einfeld. The case will continue this morning.
Additional reading: British Drug Trafficker Fights to Remain Here
Published : November 27, 2009 :: 20:11:09
The convicted British drug trafficker James Henry Kinch is still being remanded in the infamous Klong Prem prison in Bangkok. Mr Kinch was arrested in relation to the trafficking of a substantial amount of the drug precursor pseudoephedrine into Australia.
Background Information
James Henry Kinch age 49, a British national was formally arrested in Australia for attempting to import a substantial quantity of the class-A drug Ecstasy. He was later released in mysterious circumstances when the NSW Crime Commission withdrew the prosecutions brief of evidence against him. The reason given by the commission was that a key witness had left the country and was refusing to give evidence.
Following investigations by various sources it was discovered that Mr Kinch, who had by now left Australia for Europe, was retained by the NSW Crime Commission as an informant following his release from prison. After travelling around large parts of Europe, Asia and the Middle East, believed to have been setting up various drug trafficking deals, he was arrested in Thailand. The Thai police had received information from the Australian Federal Police about Mr Kinch’s activities, subsequently arresting him at the airport in Bangkok, whilst he was waiting to board a flight bound for Germany.
Three days after the arrest of Mr Kinch a deputy with the NSW Crime Commission, Matt Standen and well known businessman Bill Jalalaty were also arrested by the Australian Federal Police for conspiring to import a substantial quantity of the drug precursor pseudoephedrine in collusion with Mr Kinch. It is alleged that Mr Standen had numerous conversations with Mr Kinch in relation to importing the substance, of which none were recorded with the NSW Crime Commission as is required.
Three days after the arrest of Mr Kinch a deputy with the NSW Crime Commission, Matt Standen and well known businessman Bill Jalalaty were also arrested by the Australian Federal Police for conspiring to import a substantial quantity of the drug precursor pseudoephedrine in collusion with Mr Kinch. It is alleged that Mr Standen had numerous conversations with Mr Kinch in relation to importing the substance, of which none were recorded with the NSW Crime Commission as is required.
Thailand’s Involvement
Following a tip-off from the Australian Federal Police, Thai authorities were able to arrest and detail Mr Kinch on international drug trafficking charges. Mr Kinch was arrested on the 31st of May 2008 at the Bangkok airport and has remained in the infamous Klong Prem prison ever since.
Various court cases have come and gone for Mr Kinch, with the Thai authorities attempting to extradite him back to Australia so that he can stand trial for the 17 offenses that have been brought against him by the Australian Federal Police and the NSW Crime Commission.
Mr Kinch has previously stated that he would rather endure months or even years in the notorious Klong Prem prison than be deported back to Australia where he is wanted as both an accused drug trafficker, and to give evidence in the case brought against Crime Commission Deputy Matt Standen and businessman Bill Jalalaty.
Conclusion
At present Mr Kinch is still involved with legal proceedings within the Thai courts. With Mr Kinch’s lawyers having so far been successful in their attempts to block the extradition as Australia and Thailand do not have a signed extradition agreement between each other. For the time being it looks as if Mr Kinch is destined to remain in remand at the Klong Prem prison in Bangkok awaiting the conclusion of this intriguing case of international drug trafficking.
