Tony Mokbel's lawyer has said the accused gangland murderer had limited funds to pay for court costs, as commonwealth prosecutors made a bid to quiz further witnesses.
The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions on Friday applied to interview the witnesses, understood to be lawyers that have previously acted for Mokbel.
The Melbourne Magistrates Court was told each of the witnesses concerned had declined prosecution requests to make a statement.
Commonwealth prosecutor Daniel Gurvich said the hearing of the application should occur before Mokbel's criminal matters are put before the court in a committal mention set for August.
"The matters date back some years. There is some appropriate desire to have the matter heard as soon as possible," he said.
However, Mokbel's lawyer Bill Doogue said the court should first hear an application by Mokbel's legal team to have his case stayed on the grounds he was extradited illegally.
Mr Doogue said he was present in court "under sufferance" because that application should be determined first.
"There is necessary haste at this point," he said.
"My client is in custody, he's got limited funds, we can't afford to be coming to mentions."
Under the section 56a application under the Magistrates Court Act, the court may make an order requiring a person to attend court to be examined by the prosecution, produce a document or other evidence or both.
Mr Doogue said he would need further instructions from his client in relation to the bid to quiz witnesses.
Magistrate Phillip Goldberg ordered the parties return to court next month to further discuss the application.
Mokbel faces two murder charges over the deaths of underworld figures Lewis Moran at Brunswick in 2004 and Michael Marshall at South Yarra in 2003.
He also has been charged with trafficking and conspiring to traffic large commercial quantities of methylamphetamine in Melbourne, Greece and other unknown locations between July 5, 2006 and June 5, 2007.
Mokbel was arrested in Athens in June last year after fleeing Australia in March 2006 during a Supreme Court trial.
He was extradited to Australia last month.
A brief of evidence will be served on Mokbel's present legal team on Friday.
