A former South Australian Labor MP and her businessman husband charged with blackmail have had a bid to travel freely interstate rejected.
Annabel Digance, 63, and Greg Digance, 60, appeared for a third time in Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday where they asked for their bail to be varied to allow them to travel for work.
The court heard that as part of their agricultural business dealings they were required to regularly attend field days and other events, primarily in Queensland, Victoria and NSW.
Defence counsel Danni Stephens said identifying when those trips were necessary was difficult under current circumstances because of border closures and other COVID-19 restrictions constantly changing.
Prosecutors opposed the application for them to travel freely and asked the court to require the pair to apply on each occasion.
Chief Magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal said seeking the permission of the court, which could be done administratively, was not "onerous".
But Judge Hribal indicated such trips could be accommodated.
Ms Digance and her husband were arrested in April at their Strathalbyn home, south of Adelaide, over allegations they tried to blackmail SA Labor leader Peter Malinauskas.
Details of the allegations against them have not been disclosed in court with prosecutors still to provide the defence with some material in relation to the case.
Police said previously it would be alleged the accused were involved in a common enterprise to obtain a personal gain by threatening to make allegations of misconduct by Mr Malinauskas.
It was understood that benefit involved Ms Digance being placed in a winnable spot on the Legislative Council ticket or being preselected for a safe Labor seat prior to the next state election in March 2022.
"It is important to be clear that the allegations did not relate to any form of criminal behaviour by Mr Malinauskas," police said in a statement.
"He is not being investigated by SAPOL for any criminal offence and is not suspected of any criminal offence."
The opposition leader first approached police in February last year.
He said he never thought he would find himself involved in such circumstances and reported the matter because it was the "right thing to do".
Mr Malinauskas said he was not in a position to comment on the particulars of allegations but said he witnessed behaviour that he regarded as inappropriate and potentially unlawful.
Ms Digance previously served in the SA parliament as the lower house member for Elder from 2014 to 2018 but lost her seat to the Liberals in the 2018 poll.
Both her and her husband will return to court in October to answer the charges against them.
