Third man arrested over Canberra royal commission hearings

A witness to the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption has been arrested in Canberra, and charged with perjury.

Former CFMEU official Fihi Kivalu is arrested after appearing at the royal commission into trade union corruption hearing in Canberra two weeks ago.

A witness at the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption has been arrested in Canberra, and charged with perjury.

Tuungafasi Manase, a Canber­ra formworker, was arreste­d by ACT Police last night and charged with giving false or misleading evidence to the commission. It was the third set of criminal charges to arise from the proceedings in Canberra in as many weeks, and the first for ­perjury flowing from the royal commission.

Mr Manase is an associate of Fihi Kivalu, the former construct­ion union official who was ­arrested and charged with blackmail in the first week of a series of ACT hearings this month.

The commission heard evidenc­e that Mr Manase was involv­ed with Mr Kivalu’s alleged blackmailing of formwork company owner Elias Taleb. During Mr Manase’s testimony, counsel assisting the commission Richard Scruby asked: “You don’t know anything about money that Mr Taleb owes Mr Kivalu?”

Mr Manase replied: “No, not — no.”

Mr Scruby also asked: “Did you come here to tell the truth?”

Mr Manase said: “Yes”. Later, commissioner Dyson Heydon warned him about perjury.

Mr Manase denied writing a list of names tendered into evidence of other companies that alleged­ly owed Mr Kivalu money.

Mr Heydon then asked Mr Manase­ to submit to a handwriting test from the witness chair.

Last week, former Canberra Raiders rugby league player and construction union organiser John Lomax was arrested and charged with blackmail. The federal police taskforce linked to the commission also made an arrest in Queensland last year.