Wife knew drugs hidden in rice shipment

By Geesche Jacobsen
May 6, 2011

THE wife of Mark Standen's alleged co-conspirator in a plan to import pseudoephedrine has told the court she believed a shipment of rice would contain drugs.

Mr Standen, a former assistant director of the NSW Crime Commission, has been charged with conspiring with the food wholesaler Bill Jalalaty and the former informant James Kinch to import the drug precursor and to pervert the course of justice. He is also accused of taking part in the supply of 300 kilograms of pseudoephedrine.

Mark Standen ... an image from his police interview

Yesterday, Dianne Jalalaty told the Supreme Court her husband had put $580,000 into an investment scheme, but the money was lost. The money was part of $1 million lent to him in early 2006 by a man she knew as B52, and around July 2007 her husband told her they had to repay the money.

''He said that the debt had to be repaid and that the way that the debt was going to be repaid was sort of something in one of the shipments of rice … He told me that in one of the shipments of rice there was going to be something else in the rice,'' Mrs Jalalaty said.


''Did you understand that something to be drugs of some kind?'' asked the Crown Prosecutor, Tim Game, SC.

''Yes,'' she replied.

''Was it a source of discord with your husband?''

''Yes.''
She said it was also a matter of discord with her husband that he asked her frequently to make payments to Mr Standen from the $1 million.

She said she was not aware of any other amounts of money received by her husband.

Mr Standen told police after his arrest he did not know anything about any illegal substances in the rice and was in a legitimate business relationship with Mr Jalalaty.

The trial continues.

$1m cash hidden in the wardrobe

Geesche Jacobsen

May 5, 2011 Source: Sydney Morning HeraldTHE man who allegedly conspired with the former Crime Commission assistant director Mark Standen to import pseudoephedrine kept $1 million in cash in his wardrobe, his wife told a court yesterday.

Dianne Jalalaty, a former federal police officer, said her husband, the food wholesaler Bakhos ''Bill'' Jalalaty, had told her a friend of Mr Standen's would give him a loan to start a business.

"He returned home with a bag,
a sports bag that had cash in it."
... Dianne Jalalaty. Photo: Nick Moir

Mrs Jalalaty told the Supreme Court yesterday she knew ''this friend was someone Mark [Standen] had helped'' in ''an immigration situation''. She came to know him by the nickname B52, which is allegedly the name Mr Standen and Mr Jalalaty used for the former drug dealer James Kinch.

Mrs Jalalaty said that in February 2006 her husband met someone about the loan. ''He returned home with a bag, a sports bag that had cash in it. He told me there was a million dollars in it.''

The bag contained bundles of ''fifties, hundreds and some twenties'', but, ''I didn't expect cash''.

The Crown Prosecutor, Tim Game, SC, asked: ''From time to time did you go to the bag and, at your husband's request, and take out say 20,000 or … 30,000 or whatever?''

''Yes, I did.''

''Did your husband … say to you anything concerning what the money was to be used for?''

''Yes, he made it very clear the money was to be used to buy product and not for lifestyle.'' Mrs Jalalaty said.

Mr Standen is accused of conspiring with Mr Jalalaty and Mr Kinch to import pseudoephedrine and pervert the course of justice, and of taking part in the supply of 300kgs of pseudoephedrine.

The jury has heard Mr Kinch was an informant who had charges against him dropped in 2004 after he forfeited $900,000 to the NSW Crime Commission.

Mrs Jalalaty, who also worked at the National Crime Authority, said Mr Standen and her husband never talked about business in her presence.

In December 2005 her husband said $50,000 would be deposited in their account for Mr Standen: ''The money was for Mark and he was going to have an operation on his eyes.''

Her evidence will continue today.

Wife knew drugs hidden in rice shipment

By Geesche Jacobsen Legal Affairs

May 5, 2011, 3:15 p.m.

 

THE wife of Mark Standen's alleged co-conspirator in a plan to import pseudoephedrine has told the court she believed a shipment of rice would contain drugs.

Mr Standen, a former assistant director of the NSW Crime Commission, has been charged with conspiring with the food wholesaler Bill Jalalaty and the former informant James Kinch to import the drug precursor and to pervert the course of justice. He is also accused of taking part in the supply of 300 kilograms of pseudoephedrine.

Yesterday, Dianne Jalalaty told the Supreme Court her husband had put $580,000 into an investment scheme, but the money was lost. The money was part of $1 million lent to him in early 2006 by a man she knew as B52, and around July 2007 her husband told her they had to repay the money.

''He said that the debt had to be repaid and that the way that the debt was going to be repaid was sort of something in one of the shipments of rice … He told me that in one of the shipments of rice there was going to be something else in the rice,'' Mrs Jalalaty said.

''Did you understand that something to be drugs of some kind?'' asked the Crown Prosecutor, Tim Game, SC.

''Yes,'' she replied.

''Was it a source of discord with your husband?''

''Yes.''

She said it was also a matter of discord with her husband that he asked her frequently to make payments to Mr Standen from the $1 million.

She said she was not aware of any other amounts of money received by her husband.

Mr Standen told police after his arrest he did not know anything about any illegal substances in the rice and was in a legitimate business relationship with Mr Jalalaty.

The trial continues.

Pages from a top cop's high life

May 1, 2011 The Sydney Morning Herald

A woman's diary has become evidence in a drug case, writes Geesche Jacobsen.

WHEN she started an intimate relationship with a colleague, Louise Baker could not have imagined that the diary in which she lovingly charted their time together would end up in a court case for all to see.

Diary of a '"princess"

But the typed document, which highlights their dinners at Sydney's best restaurants and nights in the city's top hotels, became an exhibit in the trial of her lover, former NSW Crime Commission investigator Mark Standen, last week.

Among the 14 pages called ''Our year together'' is a reference to a trip the couple took to Dubai in January 2007 where they had dinner with Mr Standen's alleged co-conspirators.

The entry for January 25, 2007 reads: ''One and Only Mirage for lunch overlooking the Arabian Sea, played tennis, then dinner at Marrakech restaurant with Bill and Jimmy (who thought I wasn't to be trusted)''.

The Crown alleges the couple dined with businessman Bakhos ''Bill'' Jalalaty and former drug dealer and Crime Commission informant James Kinch. Mr Jalalaty, who was allegedly given about $1.7 million by Mr Kinch to invest in his business, allegedly paid for the couple's business-class airfares.

Mr Standen is accused of conspiring with Mr Jalalaty and Mr Kinch to import pseudoephedrine and to pervert the course of justice, and of participating in the supply of 300 kilograms of pseudoephedrine.

The Crown has alleged ''the purpose of the trip was to formulate the further plans about the anticipated importation including importantly methods of communication''. Ms Baker's diary also refers to shopping, lunches, a facial, ''desert safari and dinner in the desert'', sunbaking on the beach, and ''drinking Bollinger''.

The document, seized in Ms Baker's home, was tendered as an exhibit at Mr Standen's trial during the week.

Crown Prosecutor Hament Dhanji summarised parts for the jury: ''Dinner at Tetsuya's and reference to Sheraton Four Points. We have a reference to a dinner and see [an] appointment at diamond wholesaler, 'picked up ring' and other social engagements.''

The diary also lists dinners at Rockpool (on their first anniversary in August 2007), Aria, Otto, Icebergs and many others, stays at the InterContinental, and Sir Stamford (''best sheets ever''), weekends away, movies, musicals and the ballet.

The jury has heard Mr Standen referred to Ms Baker as ''princess'', but once told Mr Jalalaty she was contributing to the costs of their dinners. The court has also heard Mr Standen was in constant financial difficulties, frequently overdrew his account and had trouble paying his bills.

He once told Mr Jalalaty he did not have enough money to buy groceries and one of his children was drinking Milo from his son's army rations.

It is alleged Mr Standen became involved in the importation plan for financial reasons and discussed with Mr Jalalaty how they would spend the money they hoped to make. Mr Standen told police he was involved in legitimate import plans with Mr Jalalaty, a food wholesaler.

In December 2007 police intercepted a text message sent by Mr Standen to Ms Baker that said:

"Honey, you know how to get the most out of a holiday, retain those skills because within 20 weeks we will hit Bora or Maldives. I know that's longer than we planned but being realistic. Can't wait though. Plenty of fun to be had in the meantime …''

The court has heard a shipment of rice, allegedly supposed to contain the pseudoephedrine, arrived in Sydney in April 2008.

Ms Baker is due to give evidence in the Supreme Court trial this month.