John Setka era CFMEU likely made secret payments helping ex Health Services Union’s secretary Diana Asmar
Senior officers in the John Setka-ruled era of the powerful CFMEU likely covered up and kept secret payments made to Diana Asmar, the ex secretary of a Health Services Union branch.
Senior officers at the Victorian construction division of the CFMEU likely covered up and kept secret payments worth more than $329,000 it made to another union boss, an investigation has found.
The Fair Work Commission has revealed it has concluded a probe into donations of CFMEU member funds in 2022 that primarily benefited Diana Asmar – the former secretary of a branch of the Health Services Union.
The commission has separately accused Ms Asmar of authorising more than $2.9m in “ghost payments” to a printing business that didn’t provide any goods or services, and which may have made cashback payments to Ms Asmar.
The probe into CFMEU donations found that one payment of $34,100 was also paid to that printing company.
At the time the donations were made, the CFMEU was led by John Setka, who resigned last year in the midst of revelations the union had been infiltrated by bikies and underworld figures.
He has previously denied any wrongdoing while at the helm of the union and accused the media of conducting a “witch hunt”.
Fair Work Commission general manager Murray Furlong said members’ funds were held in trust by the CFMEU for the benefit of those members, and branch officers responsible for approving or authorising payments have legally-binding responsibilities.
“Those former officers should explain to the branch’s members why it was in their interests to spend over $300,000 of their money, and some of it in secret, to fund Diana Asmar’s election campaign in the HSU,” Mr Furlong said.
The HSU branch Ms Asmar had led was this year placed in administration, removing her from the secretary position.
The CFMEU was placed into administration last year, after it was revealed that the union was trapped in a “cycle of lawlessness” and had been infiltrated by criminal figures.
The Fair Work Commission’s statement on the CFMEU donations to the HSU says “it is likely that former senior officers of the branch may have knowingly and deliberately … taken steps to conceal or withhold information about the extent of the donations from the branch’s committee of management”.
“The general manager is considering whether further enforcement action should be taken in relation to former senior officers of the branch, including initiating civil penalty proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia.”
