Josh Hoch trial: Bob Katter, Robbie Katter take to stand in trial day three

Katter’s Australian Party’s Bob and Robbie Katter have taken to the stand in the trial of a North Queensland pilot fighting allegations he flew the politicians illegally.

Josh Hoch.

Katter’s Australian Party’s Bob and Robbie Katter have taken to the stand in the trial of a North Queensland pilot fighting allegations he flew the politicians illegally.

Both the Kennedy and Traeger MPs gave their evidence on day three of the trial of Josh Hoch.

Hoch has pleaded not guilty to 14 charges including five charges of not authorised to perform a duty, dishonestly gain benefit at a value more than $30,000, and several counts of dishonestly gain benefit.

Prosecutors allege that on multiple dates spanning 2011 to 2015, Hoch flew and dishonestly invoiced for flights without holding either a valid Civil Aviation Authorisation or an Air Operator Certificate (AOC).

Under the current rules and regulations, pilots cannot conduct charter flights without holding both the authorisation and certificate.

It is also alleged that Hoch held only a private pilot’s licence and not the required commercial licence.

It is not suggested that the Katters have engaged in any wrongdoing.

Josh Hoch is the owner of Hoch Air Pty Ltd.

In giving evidence, Luke Westerhuis – a pilot for the Royal Flying Doctor’s Service – said he recalled having a conversation with Hoch in February 2016 where he asked Hoch about his application for an AOC.

Mr Westerhuis said Hoch told him he had recently obtained his AOC, which prompted Mr Westerhuis to ask about a charter flight from December 2015, where he’d noticed Hoch had flown Mr Katter Snr.

Mr Westerhuis said he asked Hoch whether he had conducted the charter flight using his AOC.

“His reply was no because he didn’t have an AOC,” Mr Westerhuis said.

“I asked him if he was doing (the flight) under cost sharing or private operations and he smirked and said ‘yeah that’s how we did it, we were family friends’.”

In cross-examination by barrister Michael Hibble, he suggested that Hoch had never said he’d been family friends with Mr Katter, which Mr Westerhuis denied.

Kennedy MP Bob Katter. Picture: Duncan Evans

Kennedy MP Bob Katter told the court in evidence that he had no direct involvement with the payment of invoices, which he said were referred to an office in Canberra – but that he had flown with Hoch on previous occasions.

He said the flights were undertaken for electorate business only.

Mr Katter Jr said he had met Hoch at times where he took chartered flights for electorate business, and not for personal flights.

Member for Hill Shane Knuth also appeared via videolink to give evidence.

He told the court that while he had used Hoch’s company the Flying Fitters Pty Ltd for flights, he could not say whether Hoch had piloted each time.

The trial continues.

Originally published as Josh Hoch trial: Bob Katter, Robbie Katter take to stand in trial day three