JUDGMENT
1 HIS HONOUR: By an amended summons filed on 21 April 1999 the New South Wales Crimes Commission, ["the plaintiff"], seeks, among other orders:
"…………a proceeds assessment order pursuant to s.27 of the Criminal Assets Recovery Act 1990 requiring Danny Sum Mok to pay to the Treasurer an amount assessed by the Court as the value of the proceeds derived from any illegal activity of Danny Sum Mok that took place not more than six years before the making of the application for a proceeds assessment order."
2 On 7 May 2001 Kirby J made a number of consent orders. The first of them was:
"1. Subject to any contrary direction by the trial judge, the hearing of this matter on 30 May 2001 deal with the following three issues only:
(a) whether Danny Sum Mok ("the Defendant") was not more than 6 years before the making of the application for a proceeds assessment order pursuant to section 27 of the Criminal Assets Recovery Act 1990 ("the Act") engaged in a serious crime related activity (within the meaning of serious crime related activity set out in section 6 of the Act) involving an indictable quantity; and
(b) whether the Defendant received, on 21 January 1999, from registered informant 3027 the sum of $84,000 or the sum of $83,000 or any other sum; and
(c) whether the sum referred to in sub-paragraph (b) above was acquired by the Defendant because of an illegal activity (within the meaning of illegal activity set out in section 4 of the Act)."
3 In what follows herein a reference to "the defendant" is a reference to Danny Sum Mok; and a reference to "RI 3027" is a reference to the registered informant.
4 On 31 May 2001 a hearing commenced accordingly. It continued on 8 June 2001, and after a lengthy lapse of time caused in part by controversial subpoena proceedings which went on appeal to the Court of Appeal, the hearing resumed on 7 May 2003; and continued, and concluded, on 9 May 2003.
5 It was agreed at the hearing that, of the three specific questions stated in the order of Kirby J, the question (a) should be answered: yes; the question (c) should be answered: yes, in the event that question (b) were to be answered: yes; and that the question (c) would not call for an answer in the event that question (b) were to be answered: no.
6 The proceedings are civil proceedings: Criminal Assets Recovery Act, s 5(1). The rules of evidence applicable in civil proceedings apply to the exclusion of any rules of evidence that are applicable only in criminal proceedings; s 5(2)(b). It follows that the burden of proof rests upon the plaintiff; and that the standard of proof is according to the balance of probabilities, that concept being understood and applied in the way explained by the decision of the High Court of Australia: Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336.
7 There is, of course, nothing any longer novel about what is examined and explained in Briginahaw v Briginshaw. There are, however, cases, and in my opinion the present matter is one such, in which it is useful to go beyond a merely formal citation, and to re-state in terms the essential principles. I take them from the judgment of Dixon J at 60 CLR, 361, 362:
"The truth is that, when the law requires the proof of any fact, the tribunal must feel an actual persuasion of its occurrence or existence before it can be found. It cannot be found as a result of a mere mechanical comparison of probabilities independently of any belief in its reality. No doubt an opinion that a state of facts exists may be held according to indefinite gradations of certainty; and this has led to attempts to define exactly the certainty required by the law for various purposes. Fortunately, however, at common law no third standard of persuasion was definitely developed. Except upon criminal issues to be proved by the prosecution, it is enough that the affirmative of an allegation is made out to the reasonable satisfaction of the tribunal. But reasonable satisfaction is not a state of mind that is attained or established independently of the nature and consequence of the fact or facts to be proved. The seriousness of an allegation made, the inherent unlikelihood of an occurrence of a given description, or the gravity of the consequences flowing from a particular finding are considerations which must affect the answer to the question whether the issue has been proved to the reasonable satisfaction of the tribunal. In such matter 'reasonable satisfaction' should not be produced by inexact proofs, indefinite testimony, or indirect references. Everyone must feel that, when, for instance, the issue is on which of two dates an admitted occurrence took place, a satisfactory conclusion may be reached on materials of a kind that would not satisfy any sound and prudent judgment if the question was whether some act had been done involving grave moral delinquency."
8 Central to the plaintiff's case is evidence given, both by affidavit and orally, by RI 3027. It is convenient to begin a canvass of that evidence by considering a statement made by RI 3027 to the National Crime Authority on 21 May 1999.
9 According to this statement RI 3027 first met the defendant early in 1998. The meeting took place at a Chinese restaurant in Strathfield. The defendant represented himself as being in charge of the 14 K Triads in both Sydney and Canberra; and gave RI 3027 an introduction to a man whom the defendant described as a senior member of the 14 K in Melbourne, which is where RI 3027 was then living and working. The two men met again on the following day and at the same restaurant. According to the statement, RI 3027 saw on this occasion a number of men approach the defendant seeking favours. They treated the defendant "with a great deal of respect, and deferred to him as the boss".
10 The two men did not meet again until 3 January 1999. This time they met at the defendant's home. There was a discussion about various criminal activities, one of which was the possibility of an importation of 50 kilograms of heroin. The discussion was to the effect that the defendant would orchestrate the importation; and that the purchaser would be a drug trafficker in Melbourne for whom RI 3027 was then working in connection with illegal drug trafficking.
11 A week later, on 10 January 1999, RI 3027 came to Sydney from Melbourne, and again met the defendant. That evening the defendant and RI 3027 met at the Chopsticks Chinese Restaurant in Crow's Nest. The defendant introduced RI 3027 to another Chinese male known as "Brother Hung", the name by which I shall hereinafter refer to him. Brother Hung was introduced as the top 14 K man in Australia; and the defendant told RI 3027 that he would have to go through the defendant whenever he might wish to contact Brother Hung.
12 Later, the defendant and RI 3027 had a discussion concerning the expected arrival during the following week of a "block" of heroin, the purchase price of which would be $82,000. The two men arranged to meet on 14 January 1999 in order to discuss further the purchase by RI 3027 of that "block" of heroin.
13 On 14 January 1999 the defendant and RI 3027 met at the Eaton Chinese Restaurant at Ashfield. During this meeting the defendant told RI 3027:
"……….. that Hung is in possession of twelve 25 ounce blocks of heroin. [The defendant] stated that one of these blocks was available for purchase by myself for $84,000. [The defendant] stated that this price included $2,000 for [the defendant] for arranging the transaction. [The defendant] further stated that if I gave him the money, then a couple of hours later I would receive the heroin…………"
14 On the following day, 15 January 1999, the two men met again at the Sea Treasure Restaurant in Crow's Nest. In due course they were joined by Brother Hung. The latter told RI 3027 that a 25 ounce block of heroin was available for purchase by him for $84,000. RI 3027 said that he would think about the proposition.
15 On 18 January 1999 RI 3027 telephoned the defendant and said that he was coming to Sydney on 21 January 1999 "….. to do business".
16 On 21 January 1999 RI 3027 did in fact travel to Sydney from Melbourne. The course of events thereafter on that day is the crux of the present proceedings.
17 On the afternoon of 21 January 1999 RI 3027 met two National Crime Authority senior investigators, Mr. Newbery and Mr. Arnold. RI 3027 had kept the National Crime Authority informed about the proposed heroin deal; and the National Crime Authority was proposing to carry out a controlled operation in that connection. Mr. Newbery accordingly gave RI 3027 $84,000 in bank notes of various denominations. The preponderance of the evidence suggests that the money was handed over, initially, in a plastic shopping bag.
18 Later during that same afternoon, RI 3027 met the defendant at the Chopsticks Restaurant. They remained together until about 4.30 p.m., at which time the defendant left the restaurant, returning at about 6.00 p.m. Throughout the whole of the meetings between the defendant and RI 3027 on 21 January 1999, the latter was wearing a recording device by means of which he made audio tape recordings of his conversations with the defendant and with various other persons. It will be necessary to look later herein at the content of the recordings that were thus made.
19 What then transpired, as narrated by RI 3027, was as follows:
"19. About 7.30 pm this same date, MOK received a call on his mobile phone. At the conclusion of this telephone call MOK told me that it was time for us to go. A short time after this MOK and I walked to his Toyota Van, New South Wales registration RBG 600 that was parked in the car park at the rear of the restaurant. We then drove to Sussex Street, Sydney. During the journey I showed MOK the $84,000 and I had a conversation with him that was recorded by Listening Device. He told me to go into the McDonalds at the Entertainment Centre and wait for someone. Before I got out of MOK's van, I placed the money inside the glove box of the vehicle.
20. Shortly after 8.00 pm MOK stopped the van on Sussex Street, Sydney near the Entertainment Centre. I then got out of the van and walked into the McDonalds at the Entertainment Centre and waited.
21. About 10 minutes later I saw "Brother HUNG" inside a Mercedes that stopped right outside McDonalds. HUNG waved to me to come over to him. HUNG then got out of the car and greeted me, before we both got into the Mercedes. HUNG then drove me a short distance before parking the car on Bathurst Street, Sydney near Castlereagh Street. HUNG and I then got out of the car and walked down Bathurst Street, then turned right into Pitt Street and then turned right into Park Street. HUNG then attempted to make a phone call from a public phone located on Park Street near McDonalds, but could not get through. We then started to walk back down Park Street to another public phone. During this period HUNG received a call on his mobile phone. He then told me it was ready, so we then walked back along Pitt Street then Bathurst Street towards HUNG's Mercedes. We had a brief conversation near his car and then HUNG got into his vehicle and drove off. I then waited outside the ANZ bank on the corner of Castlereagh Street and Bathurst Street.
22. About 5 minutes later a young Asian male that I had never seen before approached me, briefly greeted me, then handed me a white plastic bag and walked away. The earlier conversation with MOK in his van, and all conversations with HUNG and the unknown Asian who handed me the plastic bag, are recorded on Listening Device tapes WL/LD/05 and WL/LD/06. I have read the transcripts of these tapes and signed each page as a true record of the recordings.
23. About 8.45 pm. On 21st January 1999, I walked to George Street and caught a taxi to the Domain area of Sydney. At the Domain area I met with Investigator Nick BINGHAM of the National Crime Authority and handed him the white plastic bag. I then left the area."
20 Thereafter, and until about mid-March 1999 there were further contacts between RI 3027 and Brother Hung. All of them were recorded. Neither these recordings themselves, nor transcripts of them, were in evidence in the present proceedings.
21 The defendant swore two affidavits, both of which were read in his case. In an affidavit sworn on 11 May 2001 the defendant deposes:
"1. I am the Defendant in these proceedings and associated criminal proceedings. I speak little English, my first language is Cantonese and I am assisted in the preparation of this affidavit by Allan Chan who speaks both Cantonese and English.
2. I am aware that a person who has been identified in this matter by the Police as "Registered Informant 3027" alleges that I was given $84,000 (or $83,000 in his evidence of 4 July 2000) in respect of a drug transaction on 21 January 1999. I deny ever entering into any arrangement to receive such money, nor did I receive such money.
3. I pleaded guilty at the District Court to having knowledge and concern in a drug transaction on this day, however never did I receive either $83,000 or $84,000.
6. At no time has any person placed either $83,000 or $84,000 into my glove box, nor have I ever seen any person place such money in my glove box."
22 What is there deposed was amplified somewhat in paragraphs 18 and 19 of an affidavit sworn by the defendant on 7 June 2001, and deposing:
"18. I have subsequently become aware that [RI 3027] kept $6,000 of the money he received from the Police for the drug and the remainder went to WU.
19. What I do want to make clear is that although I did expect to be paid the sum of $1,000 and even though I agree that [RI 3027] did talk about giving me that sum of money the truth is that I did not even receive that amount from [RI 3027] ."