The brief of evidence against former NSW MP Daryl Maguire and his co-accused in an alleged visa fraud is 13 gigabytes and would cost $17,000 just to print, their lawyers say.
Maguire, 63, allegedly conspired with migration agent Maggie Ning Logan to breach the migration act between January 2013 and August 2015.
He faces prison time or a maximum fine of $34,000.
Logan was hit with 28 new charges on Monday night, her lawyer William Vahl told the Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday.
“The (court attendance notices) are not adequately particularised, these new ones, such that it’s possible to understand the case my client’s required to meet,” Mr Vahl said.
Magistrate Susan Horan asked: “When was all this sent through?”
Crown prosecutor Liam MacAndrews said it was “being filed last night”.
Mr Vahl said the new notices were missing a statement of alleged facts.
He is also facing difficulties preparing for the case, unable to access his client’s phone because the Independent Commission Against Corruption still has it, he told the court.
Mr Vahl and Maguire’s lawyer Jim Harrowell both took issue with how they received the brief of evidence against their clients.
“While an electronic copy of the brief of evidence has been served and that’s helpful, there hasn’t been a hard copy,” Mr Vahl said.
“It’s 13 gigabytes and many folders and subfolders,” he said.
Mr Harrowell said the brief was “substantial”.
“If we have to print that brief it’s $17,000,” he said.
The pair requested the Crown provide a hard copy on Tuesday.
Mr Vahl said it was unreasonable for the defence to bear the cost of printing the brief of evidence.
“The brief has been served in electronic form. Is that how the DPP serves its briefs these days?” Ms Horan asked.
Mr MacAndrews told the court: “That’s the standard approach.”
Ms Horan made no formal order and told the parties to work it out between themselves.
“Why don’t I give you two weeks to see if there’s progress there?” she said.
Maguire, the former Wagga Wagga MP, was charged in November but has not yet entered a plea, and his conditional bail was continued on Tuesday, as was Logan’s.
Both have been excused from appearing when their matter returns to court on April 4.
Maguire resigned from NSW parliament in 2018 after an anti-corruption inquiry, which later exposed his secret romantic relationship with former premier Gladys Berejiklian.
There is no suggestion Ms Berejiklian was involved in any alleged offence.
– AAP
