Ben Aulich remains on bail after his case was adjourned to February 2022. Photo: Supplied.
Three dates have been set down in 2022 to discuss the case against Canberra lawyer Ben Aulich.
Mr Aulich was arrested in December 2020 following an eight-month investigation targeting organised crime.
Last year, police alleged Mr Aulich recruited accountant Michael Anthony Papandrea to engage in criminal activity. The lawyer has pleaded not guilty to one count each of conspiracy and recruiting people to engage in criminal activity.
Papandrea will also fight a charge of conspiracy.
Neither of the defendants appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court in person on Tuesday (13 July) when the case against them was mentioned.
Mr Aulich’s lawyer Peter Woodhouse, a partner at the law firm Aulich, told the court a single day in February 2022 was scheduled to debate an issue around a subpoena as well as jurisdiction (whether the case should be heard in the Magistrates Court or the higher Supreme Court).
But he said both the defence and the prosecution had agreed one day would not be enough time to cover both issues.
Mr Woodhouse also asked Magistrate Robert Cook that a date in early March be put aside for a contested committal. Generally, these hearings test the strength of the evidence in a case.
Mr Woodhouse said there would be an issue over which magistrate dealt with the upcoming hearings due to Mr Aulich’s “more friendly” relationship with a number of them.
Magistrate Cook adjourned the case to 7 and 8 February 2022 for the debate on the subpoena and jurisdiction, as well as to 25 March 2022 for the contested committal hearing.
Mr Aulich and Mr Papandrea’s bail was continued and they were not excused from attending court in person on the next occasion.
“We’ll see everyone in February,” Magistrate Cook said.
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