Trade union royal commission: CFMEU ex-footballer John Lomax arrested

An ex-footballer and union official is the third person arrested by the royal commission police taskforce.

John Lomax in 1996 during his football days. He faced a judiciary over a careless tackle.

An ex-Canberra Raider footballer has become the third person arrested by the police taskforce attached to the royal commission into trade union governance and corruption.

The Australian understands Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy union official John Lomax was taken into custody by the ACT-based federal police taskforce today, and charged with one count of blackmail.

Mr Lomax was listed to appear as a witness before the commission next week, and is yet to tender a witness statement.

Sub-contractor Elias Taleb mentioned Mr Lomax during evidence last week, saying he was connected to former CFMEU organiser Fihi Kivalu who was arrested last Friday.

Mr Taleb alleged Mr Fihi and Mr Lomax demanded payment from him to keep quiet about non-union employees.

Mr Taleb told the commission he received a text message from Mr Lomax which read:

“3 x $353 = 1059 cheq (sic) pick up your office tomorrow”

Mr Taleb explained: “They were saying I had three guys that were still not members and they wanted me to pay for them, so (Mr Lomax) was telling me that he was coming the next day to pick up the cheque for them.”

Counsel assisting the commission, Jeremy Stoljar, asked: “Did you give him a cheque?” Mr Taleb replied: “Yes”.

However, later in the day, Mr Taleb testified that he also paid Mr Kivalu separately on occasion.

“After we exchanged the money, Fihi asked us not to tell Lomax how much we had given him,” Mr Taleb told the commission.

The commission’s police taskforce made its first arrest in Queensland last year.

CFMEU construction division national secretary Dave Noonan said the AFP were being “politicised”, and had been targeting the CFMEU’s ACT activities separately to the royal commission.

“We are aware the AFP appear to have been used to investigate industrial relations matters (more broadly), that is of some concern,” Mr Noonan told The Australian.

“We will have a full comment when we’ve seen the allegations against Mr Lomax.”