SA Police aware of bikies in SA building jobs as Liberals kick off secrecy row over CFMEU probe

The police commissioner advice that the government said shouldn’t be made public is officially out in the open after a Liberal FOI bid. Read it here.

Bikies have infiltrated elements of South Australia’s construction industry, the state’s top cop has revealed, as a secrecy row embroils the police investigation into the embattled CFMEU.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens has told the state government that officers are “aware” that current, or former, outlaw motorcycle gang members (OMCG) had building-related jobs.

Details of his comments, contained in a letter to SA’s top public servant, emerged as the Opposition accused the government of attempting to keep his advice hidden from the public.

Premier Peter Malinauskas. Picture: Kelly Barnes

SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens Picture: RoyVPhotography.

Mr Stevens wrote to the Department of Premier and Cabinet after a request that SA Police investigate any links between the CFMEU and OMCG members in South Australia.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said earlier this month that no such links had been found, but Mr Stevens’ September 3 letter and accompanying legal advice was not made public.

It has now been released to the opposition under Freedom of Information (FOI) laws.

“(SA Police) is aware that individuals who are known to be past or current outlaw motorcycle gang members are participating in industries related to the construction industry,” Mr Stevens wrote.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FOI DOCUMENT

“However there is no information to suggest their services are being offered to the CFMEU for union-related activity or enforcement.”

The documents say SA Police was aware of incidents where industrial courts have found that CFMEU officials exhibited “intimidating and thuggish” behaviour.

But there was no concern with the current standing of the CFMEU’s membership or suspected criminal conduct in South Australia.

A police spokeswoman told The Advertiser “current and former OMCG members work in a wide range of professions within the community”.

“When any criminal activity involving them is detected police take the appropriate action,” she said.

Attorney-General Kyam Maher. Picture: Matt Loxton

SA Liberal MP Ben Hood. Picture: Facebook

Opposition government accountability spokesman Ben Hood asked in parliament last week – prior to the release of the letter under FOI – why Mr Stevens’ letter could not be published.

Attorney-General Kyam Maher told him: “I do not think anyone here would expect advice from the police about any inquiries that they have made … to be published and tabled.

“That would be an extraordinary thing, and I do not think more experienced people in here would expect that to happen.”

Mr Hood accused the government of lacking transparency and said it should not have taken a FOI request to “extract even the most basic information”.

“What has this government got to hide?” he said.

A government spokeswoman said: “It is ultimately for police to determine whether to release police advice.”

The SA Police spokeswoman said it was “not SAPOL’s practice to release correspondence between the Police Commissioner and the Premier to the media”.

Originally published as SA Police aware of bikies in SA building jobs as Liberals kick off secrecy row over CFMEU probe