The article you reference does not say anywhere that Assange was not present. Also, you need a lot of supporting evidence to claim that Assange's lawyer (Jennifer Robinson) would

a) lie about her client

b) speak without his permission

and/or

c) go through this whole process without having access or speaking to her client for the last month

That is not how lawyers operate (and Assange is especially careful when selecting his representatives). Or do you think she has been coerced?

Edit: And Assange has more than one lawyer. His Swedish lawyer was the one not present.