CFMEU shredded key files: official

Several tonnes of documents subpoenaed by the trade union royal commission were shredded by officials from the CFMEU.

Former Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union president David Hanna.

Several tonnes of documents subpoenaed by the trade union royal commission were shredded by officials from the nation’s most powerful union, the CFMEU, who later told national secretary Michael O’Connor what happened, the inquiry has heard.

In audiotapes played at the commission’s Brisbane hearings yesterday, former Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union president David Hanna alleged he showed Mr O’Connor proof that documents were taken to a rubbish tip near ­Ipswich — a claim he later sought to clarify.

In a conversation recorded by Australian Federal Police in July, Mr Hanna told fellow official Leo Skourdoumbis he showed Mr O’Connor the “receipt” of the truck company he used to take away documents at the direction of Michael Ravbar, the CFMEU construction division’s Queensland secretary.

Mr Hanna raised the claim, which he later told the commission yesterday he “embellished”, during a separate investigation into claims he misused union charity funds. That investigation led to Mr Hanna’s decision to resign from the union.

The allegations against CFMEU officials are among the most explosive to emerge as the royal commission continues its hearings into the construction union. Already, dozens of officials and former officials from various unions have been referred to the courts over alleged wrongdoing since the commission began hearings in April last year. Four have been arrested by the police taskforce attached to the commission.

The latest hearings follow a union bid to shut the royal commission down over a perceived bias of its head, Dyson Heydon, after it emerged he accepted an invitation to speak at a Liberal Party function. The former High Court judge rejected the unions’ application to disqualify himself.

In a discussion about the consequences of Mr Hanna’s actions played at yesterday’s hearing, union official Leo Skourdoumbis is heard to say: “Your national body’s gonna support ya ...”

He also said: “They all think you’re gonna f..king launch your own counter stuff, right?”

Mr Hanna replied: “I’ve got it sitting in the cupboard.”

Mr Skourdoumbis said: “Good, let them keep thinking that, OK? Cause those national officials, Michael O’Connor included, they want you looked after in whatever way possible, OK?”

Mr Hanna said he “embellished” information and denied the existence of a “docket” or receipt — but added he “may” have discussed the destruction of documents with Mr O’Connor.

He told the commission he was told to destroy the documents by Mr Ravbar.

The recording captured Mr Hanna discussing the use of a truck and horse floats to move documents from the union’s Brisbane office — first to a shed and then to a rubbish tip — with Mr Skourdoumbis, the assistant national secretary. Mr Hanna can then be heard on the audio, recorded at Brisbane airport, describing how Mr Ravbar ordered the documents be removed the day the royal commission issued the union with a subpoena, April 1, 2014.

The documents, which filled two horse floats, were first taken to a property owned by Mr Hanna for burning, but he said there were too many to burn, and a “tip truck” was brought in to take the documents to a rubbish tip.

“A seven tonne truck … loaded full to the top — couldn’t fit any more on,” Mr Hanna said in the recording heard by the royal commission.

Mr Skourdoumbis allegedly asked: “Of compromising documents?”

Mr Hanna replied: “Paperwork that was removed from the office on the day that we got the subpoena to produce that document, those documents.”

He also told Mr Skourdoumbis: “I’ve shown Michael (O’Connor) a receipt from the tip truck company that took away ... seven tonnes of documentation the day we got the subpoenas to provide all the paper work on the 1st of April, April fool’s day.”

Asked by Mr Skourdoumbis whether the documents belonged to the CFMEU, Mr Hanna said: “All CFMEU paperwork that was relevant to the subpoena.”

Giving evidence yesterday, Mr Hanna said he had “no idea” if the documents were relevant to the royal commission. “Michael (Ravbar) picked out what he wanted removed and what he wanted to keep,” he said.

“Some of the stuff that did go, I do recall being very old EBAs — we now get electronically so there was no need for those because they’re all via the net. But all the other stuff, I have no idea.”

Mr Ravbar is scheduled to appear before the royal commission this week.

In his interim report last year, Mr Heydon referred Mr Ravbar to the Queensland DPP to face criminal prosecution for alleged extortion and threats. Mr Heydon also recommended he be charged and prosecuted for breaching corporations laws and for coercion under the Fair Work Act, as well as under competition laws for an alleged secondary boycott.