Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police v Ortmann
[2021] NSWSC 451
At a glance
Source factsCourt
Supreme Court of NSW
Decision date
2021-04-23
Before
Adamson J
Catchwords
- [2007] NSWCA 104 LFDB v SM (2017) 256 FCR 218
Source
Original judgment source is linked above.
Catchwords
Judgment (27 paragraphs)
Solicitors: Australian Federal Police (Plaintiff) Patterson Houen & Commins (Defendant) File Number(s): 2020/106830
Introduction
- By summons filed on 8 April 2020, the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police (the plaintiff) applies for an order pursuant to s 34A of the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act 1987 (Cth) (the Act) that a foreign forfeiture order issued in the United States of America (the Order) be registered in this Court.
- The Order was issued by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (the Foreign Court) on 22 January 2018. The property specified in the Order is the money standing to the credit of Mathias Ortmann (the defendant) in three accounts in his name at HSBC Bank Australia Limited (HSBC Australia), a "Premier account", a "Serious Saver" account and another account.
- The defendant, for whom Mr Stanton appeared, accepted that the jurisdictional and procedural requirements for the making of an order for registration were satisfied. However, he opposed the registration of the Order on the basis that it would be "contrary to the interests of justice" within the meaning of s 34A(1) of the Act for it to be registered. It was common ground that the defendant bore the onus of persuading me that the registration would be contrary to the interests of justice.