The Commissioner investigating trade union corruption has been advised that Bill Shorten did not engage in any criminal or unlawful conduct.But in a series of detailed submissions, Jeremy Stoljar, the counsel assisting the commission, advised that Victorian MP Cesar Melhem might have committed offences under the Crimes Act by soliciting “’corrupt commissions”’ from the company Cleanevent.
He also found that Mr Melhem, who was Mr Shorten’s successor as the AWU Victorian state secretary, former Thiess John Holland executive Julian Rzesniowiecki and the company itself might have committed offences under the Crimes Act over the creation of false invoices relating to payments made to the union over three years.
A former Downer EDI Engineering Power executive Anthony Sirsen may have also broken the law by his involvement in a false $25,000 invoice paid to the AWU to end a picket line, according to Mr Stoljar’s submissions to Commissioner Dyson Heydon released unexpectedly late last night.
“Counsel assisting have submitted that the Commissioner should find that a number of officials of the AWU and the AWU itself may have engaged in criminal conduct in relation to the falsification of invoices and the taking of commissions,’’ the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption said.
The AWU officials may have also “engaged in conduct in conflict of interest by causing the union to enter into lucrative side deals that were not disclosed to the members”.
“It is further submitted that a number of persons employed by major employers and employers themselves may have engaged in similar criminal conduct, by receiving and paying bogus invoices and paying commissions,’’ the statement said.
“There is no submission that Mr Bill Shorten may have engaged in any criminal or unlawful conduct.”
A spokesman for Mr Shorten said the Opposition Leader had always maintained he had acted in the best interests of his workers.
“This was a politically-motivated royal commission, set up by the Liberal Party to throw mud and smear its political opponents,’’ he said.
“Labor has absolutely zero tolerance for corruption or criminal activity in the workplace whether it involves an employer, employee or union.”
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http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...-against-shorten/story-fn59noo3-1227599611201
