LAWYER'S HOME BUGGED IN DRUG PROBE, COURT TOLD

Police bugged the home and office of one of Australia's leading criminal
lawyers to implicate him in a massive cocaine bust, a Melbourne court was
told yesterday.

Andrew Roderick Fraser, 49, of Middle Park, is facing committal proceedings
in the Melbourne Magistrates Court over the alleged importation of 5.5
kilograms of cocaine.

He has also been charged with two counts of trafficking cocaine and one
count each of possessing and using cocaine, and possessing ecstasy.

Mr Fraser has not entered a plea.

In a joint operation between federal and Victorian police, codenamed
Operation Sundial, four listening devices and two telephone intercepts were
installed in Mr Fraser's office and home between August 16 and September 10
last year, the court was told.

Detective Senior Constable Stephen Paton told the court there were three
devices at Mr Fraser's workplace - his office, conference room and
photocopier area near reception.

There was also a bug in his house in West St Kilda and telephone intercepts
on his home and mobile phones.

Senior Constable Paton said Mr Fraser became the focus or target of another
investigation, codenamed Operation Regent, in July last year after police
received information.

But the court was told not all conversations monitored were relevant to the
investigation involving Mr Fraser.

Geoff Chettle, for Mr Fraser, said there were many discussions that
"clearly had nothing to do with drug trafficking" but were monitored and
recorded by police.

He said one conversation was with a high-profile client of Mr Fraser's -
who was of particular interest to police, and not just the drug squad.

"Was any intelligence passed on to other officers outside this operation?"
Mr Chettle asked Senior Constable Paton.

"No, there was not," he replied.

Mr Fraser, who defended failed businessman Alan Bond, was arrested on
November 9 and charged with being knowingly concerned with the importation
of a prohibited import following a drug haul in Sydney on September 10.

Another man and two women have also been charged in connection with the bust.

The court was told that police found items with traces of cocaine in Mr
Fraser's house, car and office during a search on September 12.

Under cross-examination, Sergeant Stephen Olinder said that to his
knowledge, Mr Fraser had not been in possession of any large amount or
quantity of cocaine.

He said analysis by a chemist had found the cocaine seized in Sydney was of
a good quality, just under 70per cent pure.

But Sergeant Olinder was unable to say whether the samples from Mr Fraser's
items were compared with the seized drug and whether any comparative tests
had been carried out.