Mokbel, lawyer comment as he faces extradition to Australia

Описание: (4 Mar 2008) SHOTLIST
1. Wide exterior of Supreme Court
2. Close-up of Supreme Court building entrance
3. Walking shot of Tony Mokbel being escorted by police, UPSOUND: Reporter question: "Think you'll be headed back to Australia now?" Mokbel: "No. We don't know. I mean when I say no, I don't know." Reporter: "You're not going to Lebanon, though." Mokbel: "I'm not too sure. I don't know. I just don't know."
4. Tracking shot of Tony Mokbel being escorted by police, UPSOUND: Mokbel: "I don't do no deals with nobody. They've said that if I go back to Australia, whatever they're claiming, that's nonsense. I wouldn't give the satisfaction to anybody, if I knew anything about anyone. And that's just the way it is, you've got to die with pride. That's life."
5. Defence lawyers Alexandros Lykourezos, right, and Yannis Vlachos speaking
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Alexandros Lykourezos, Tony Mokbel's defence lawyer:
"We fought. We expect a decision in 14-15 days. As you know there is a pending extradition request from Lebanon. We wanted the adjournment in order for the Lebanese government to submit the missing documents. The Supreme Court rejected our request and now we are waiting for the decision which will be published in 18 of March. OK? We wait. We see. We fought and you never know. You can never predict what the court will say."
7. Lykourezos leaving court
8. Mokbel's relatives leaving court
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Constantine Karageorge, Greek-Australian lawyer and defence witness:
"My main aim in coming to this court was to show that Mr. Mokbel could not get a fair trial in Australia."
(Reporter question: inaudible)
"Well I gave evidence of my experience in Australia of this sort of case natures."
(Reporter: why do you want to try and help Tony Mokbel?)
"It's not a matter of helping Tony Mokbel. I'm here to see justice done."
10. Wide exterior of court
STORYLINE:
Greece's Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a new bid by fugitive drug smuggler Tony Mokbel to postpone a hearing for his extradition to Australia to face murder charges.
The hearing went ahead and judges said they would announce their final decision on March 18.
Mokbel, 41, was arrested in Athens last year on an Interpol warrant after skipping bail in 2006 while on trial in Australia for cocaine smuggling.
He was convicted in absentia and sentenced to up to 12 years in prison for that offence. He also faces two murder charges in Australia.
Asked outside the court on Tuesday if he thought he would be heading back to Australia now, Mokbel told The Associated Press that he didn't know.
Mokbel claims Australian courts cannot offer him a fair trial.
Defence lawyer Alexandros Lykourezos asked Supreme Court judges to postpone Monday's extradition hearing for up to 45 days.
He said this would allow Lebanese authorities to prepare a separate extradition request for Mokbel - who also holds Lebanese citizenship - on drug smuggling charges.
But the court, which had already adjourned an extradition hearing in December, rejected the request.
Judges said Greek authorities have already turned down the Lebanese extradition bid.
Defence lawyer for Mokbel, Alexandros Lykourezos, said outside the court that it was now a question of waiting for the court's decision on whether he would be extradited to Australia.
"As you know there is a pending extradition request from Lebanon. We wanted the adjournment in order for the Lebanese government to submit the missing documents. The Supreme Court rejected our request and now we are waiting for the decision which will be published in 18 of March," he said.

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