Ex-premier’s partner banned from contact in rape case

By Rex Martinich

A prominent surgeon and partner of a former state premier on bail accused of rape has been banned from contacting 10 people including a woman he allegedly assaulted and detained.

Vahid Reza Adib, the partner of former Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, had his charges mentioned for the first time at Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday.

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 his Gold Coast apartment.

Police allege Adib, 65, sexually assaulted a woman aged in her 30s at a Burleigh Heads apartment on March 30.

Adib has been banned from contacting the alleged victim along with nine other people, according to court documents seen by AAP.

The bariatric surgeon was also required to surrender his passport.

Adib was due to appear in court in person on Thursday.

His 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,” Mr Rogers said.

Ms Bentley granted Adib’s application not to be required to appear.

During the brief mention, Ms Bentley ordered police provide a brief of evidence to Mr Rogers by June 23.

Mr Rogers did not comment when asked why Adib was not present in court by the large group of reporters outside court.

The matter was adjourned to July 7.

Adib has not entered any pleas.

After he was first charged, Adib’s law firm said in a statement he was “shocked about the allegations made about him and is taking the matter very seriously”.

“Like all persons accused of a crime, he is presumed to be innocent and intends to vigorously defend the charges,” the statement said.

Adib claims to have performed more than 20,000 obesity treatment operations, specialising in laparoscopic procedures.

He formed a relationship with Ms Palaszczuk in 2021.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on the part of Ms Palaszczuk.

She resigned as Queensland’s premier and a state Labor MP in December 2023.