Lawyers for Broncos star Payne Haas’ mother are now helping his father as he faces a possible death penalty after being arrested in the Philippines for alleged drug trafficking.
Gregor Johann Haas, 46, was detained by police in Cebu City in the Philippines on Wednesday.
He is expected to be extradited to Jakarta to face drug trafficking charges in Indonesia. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment or execution by firing squad.
Haas’ mother Uiatu ‘Joan’ Taufua is facing trial for alleged manslaughter over a horror Gold Coast car crash that left three family members dead.
Now her lawyers also have confirmed they will be helping Gregor defend himself following his arrest, as well.
‘We are assisting Gregor. We are working with the [Australian] consulate [in Manila] to ensure he gets the right attention and service,’ Sydney-based lawyer Abdul Reslan told News Corp.
Mr Reslan said it was still ‘early days’ in the case, and no date has been set for an extradition hearing.
Haas family matriach Uiatu ‘Joan’ Taufua is facing manslaughter charges for her alleged role in a traffic crash that killed three people
The lawyers representing Uiatu ‘Joan’ Taufua, who is the mother of NRL stars Payne (pictured) and Klese Haas, will also represent their father
King’s Law is also representing Taufua, who has been in jail since being charged over a December 2022 crash near her Bonogin home in the Gold Coast Hinterland.
Taufua, the mother of Payne and Klese Haas, is accused of fleeing from police before crashing into a vehicle carrying Steffi Zimmer, her mother Susan Zimmer, and her mother’s partner Chris Fawcett.
All three died, while Taufua, the only survivor, faces charges of manslaughter, dangerous driving, evading police, drink-driving, and unlicensed driving.
There is no suggestion that Payne or Klese Haas are involved in their parents’ alleged crimes.
The Brisbane Broncos have vowed to stand by their star prop Payne while Gold Coast Titans forward Klese sent a message of support to his father after scoring a try against Newcastle on Saturday.
Filipino police have revealed that Haas is accused of shipping methamphetamines to Indonesia from Mexico, concealed inside ceramic floor tiles.
The drugs were allegedly seized by Indonesian authorities, leading to the severe charges against him.
Gregor Haas was arrested in Cebu City in the Philippines last Wednesday (pictured) and charged with drug trafficking in Indonesia
Klese Haas paid tribute to his father on Saturday, writing ‘Dad’ on his wrist strapping along with ‘Chace’ for his late brother, linking them together after scoring a try against Newcastle
Philippines authorities have stated that Haas allegedly worked with the Sinaloa drug cartel.
‘The drugs were seized by Indonesian authorities who later discovered via testimonies elicited from arrested drug couriers that the packages were sent by Haas from Guadalajara, Mexico,’ Philippine authorities said.
Indonesian officials have accused Haas of attempting to smuggle more than five kilograms of methamphetamine into the country on December 11, 2023, hidden in floor tiles.
The Sinaloa Cartel, also known as the Guzmán-Zambada Organization or the Pacific Cartel, is a notorious international crime syndicate based in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico.
It is one of Mexico’s oldest, largest, and most violent criminal groups, maintaining strong influence despite the arrests of its founder Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman and his son.
The dramatic arrest of Haas Snr was recorded by Philippines authorities on Wednesday
Payne Haas is pictured with his father at the 2019 NRL Dally M Awards
Philippine Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco hailed the coordinated effort between local, Indonesian, and Interpol investigators as ‘a major accomplishment of the BI [Bureau of Immigration] in its continuing drive to flush out wanted foreign criminals in the country.’
However, the Philippine government has not yet confirmed whether it will allow Haas’s extradition without assurances that he will not face the death penalty if convicted.
Haas is currently being held in Manila, pending deportation proceedings.
ANU professor of international law Donald Rothwell suggested that Haas might be used as a bargaining tool in the Philippines’ ongoing attempts to secure the return of Mary Jane Veloso, who has been on death row in Indonesia for more than a decade.
In 2010, Veloso traveled to Indonesia under the pretense of working as a maid but was caught with heroin in her luggage. She claims that recruiters hid the drugs in her bag without her knowledge, which is central to her plea for freedom.
Her case has garnered significant media attention in the Philippines, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. faces pressure to negotiate her return.
Indonesian authorities are working to have Haas (pictured after his arrest) extradited to Jakarta to face criminal charges
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured with Souths co-owner Russell Crowe) said Australia will provide support for Haas through diplomatic channels
Rothwell also said that Haas could contest his extradition in Philippine courts, potentially delaying Indonesia’s efforts.
The last Australians executed in Indonesia were Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran in 2015.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reiterated Australia’s opposition to the death penalty.
‘We will continue to make diplomatic representations in an appropriate way,’ he said.
‘One of the things that the Australian government does is we stand up for Australian citizens, we make appropriate representations through diplomatic channels. And we’ll be doing that on this occasion again.’
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