Partner of former Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk Reza Adib vows to fight charges after raid on luxury Gold Coast apartment

The long-term partner of former Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been charged with rape and deprivation of liberty.

Reza Adib, 65, attended Southport Police Station with his lawyer on Friday after driving from Brisbane to the Gold Coast.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Police raid home of Palaszczuk’s partner

Adib has been charged with three counts of rape, two counts of deprivation of liberty, and one count of sexual assault.

Police allege he sexually assaulted a woman, aged in her 30s, at a Goodwin Terrace residence on March 30, understood to be an apartment he shared with the former premier.

He has been granted bail and is due to appear before Southport Magistrates Court on May 14.

In a statement issued through his lawyer, Adib said he was “shocked” by the allegations and would not comment further while the matter is before the courts.

“Dr Adib is shocked about the allegations made about him and is taking the matter very seriously,” the statement read.

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

“Right now, Dr Adib is primarily concerned about the welfare of his family and his patients, and he will do whatever it takes to ensure that they are looked after in the coming weeks.”

This came after police, including forensic specialists, attended his beachfront unit on Goodwin Tce at Burleigh Heads the day before.

Witnesses reported multiple police vehicles outside the Norfolk building as investigators conducted a detailed search of the luxury apartment, removing items.

The address has since been declared a crime scene as inquiries continue.

Reza Adib is a Brisbane-based surgeon known for his work in weight-loss surgery.

He established an obesity clinic in Brisbane in 2004 and has been involved in obesity and metabolic surgery for many years.

In 2017, he was named co-chair of The Wesley Hospital’s Centre of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery.

The hospital has since confirmed he is no longer an accredited surgeon there.

Under his registration obligations, Adib has seven days to notify the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) of the serious criminal charges.

The board will then consider if there is a risk to patients.

Adib has been in a relationship with Palaszczuk since 2021.

Authorities stressed Palaszczuk is not believed to be involved and may not even have any knowledge of the raid.

Just before the charges were laid, Palaszczuk shared a social media post about her book launch, making no mention of the developments.

“Another special conversation — grateful to everyone on the Gold Coast who came along last night,” she wrote.

“If you’d like a copy of the book, I’ve popped the link in my bio xx Thanks so much for your support!”

She is in the middle of a national publicity campaign for her memoir, The Politics Of Being Me, which was launched earlier this week.

When asked whether she would show support for Adib, Palaszczuk said: “Well, I’m not aware of any of that, so I can’t comment.”

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call triple-0.