A trespass case against an Indigenous man, who declared a Canberra building to be an embassy for the government of the Yidindji people, was dismissed due to insufficient evidence earlier this year.
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Murrumu Walubara Yidindji, formerly a press gallery journalist known as Jeremy Geia, announced he was revoking his Australian citizenship to set up a sovereign nation in lands stretching across large parts of north Queensland last year.
He came to Canberra to set up an embassy in a building in Kambah and allegedly refused to leave when evicted in January.
Mr Murrumu was arrested and held in custody for three nights on a minor trespass offence, before being brought before the ACT Magistrates Court.
His imprisonment on what is typically a fine-only offence did not impress Magistrate Bernadette Boss, who strongly urged prosecutors to drop the charge on his first appearance in January.
Dr Boss noted the defendant had spent a "considerable" amount of time in custody for what is a fine-only offence.
Prosecutors told the magistrate that they were going to pursue the charge, and Dr Boss asked if the Director of Public Prosecutions was aware that the continuation of proceedings would be an "impost on the public purse".
"I hope that the director is well aware of the course of action that you are taking," Dr Boss said.
Mr Murrumu was released and never came back to court.
The case against him was expected to proceed in his absence.
But the DPP confirmed to Fairfax Media this week that the charge was dismissed in March.
Dr Boss dismissed the case on March 2, because of insufficient evidence.
It is unclear whether Mr Murrumu knows of the outcome.
The Indigenous leader has given up his passport, driver's licence, and Australian currency. His sovereign nation has its own drivers licensing system, laws, and institutions.
He has severed all official ties with the federal government and Australian institutions, and is asking them to negotiate with him on a treaty between the Commonwealth and the Yidindji government.
He formerly worked in the press gallery as a journalist with National Indigenous Television, and was the first Western journalist to interview Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
