Ex-premier’s partner skips first rape case court date
A lawyer for the partner of a former premier has sought for the man to be excused from appearing in court to face rape charges
A prominent surgeon and partner of a former state premier has been excused from attending his first court appearance on three counts of alleged rape.
Vahid Reza Adib, the partner of former Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, was due to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Adib’s lawyer Dan Rogers told Magistrate Jane Bentley his client was on bail, after attending Southport Police station earlier this month.
“I ask that his appearance be excused,” Rogers said.
Bentley granted Adib’s application not to be required to appear.
Adib was charged on May 1 with three counts of rape, two counts of deprivation of liberty and one count of sexual assault after police searched the bariatric surgeon’s Gold Coast apartment.
Police allege Adib, 65, sexually assaulted a woman aged in her 30s at a residence in Burleigh Heads on March 30.
During the brief mention on Thursday, Bentley ordered police provide a brief of evidence to Rogers By June 23.
The matter was adjourned to July 7.
Rogers did not comment when asked why Adib was not present in court by the large group of reporters outside court.
Adib claims to have performed more than 20,000 obesity treatment operations, specialising in laparoscopic procedures.
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He formed a relationship with Palaszczuk in 2021.
There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on the part of Palaszczuk.
Palaszczuk resigned as Queensland’s premier and a state Labor MP in December 2023.
-with AAP
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