Unions royal commission: witness charged with perjury

A man who appeared as a witness at the trade union royal commission has tonight been charged with perjury.

A witness at the royal commission into trade union governance and corruption has been arrested in Canberra, and charged with perjury.

Tuungafasi Manase, who works as a formworker in Canberra, was arrested by ACT Police tonight and charged with giving false or misleading evidence to the commission.

It’s the third arrest with criminal charges arising from the proceedings in Canberra in as many weeks, and the first for perjury flowing from the 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 Mr Manase about perjury. “Your duty is not intentionally to give false or misleading evidence...” the Commissioner said.

“If you were to break that duty it would be an offence punishable on conviction by imprisonment for five years or a fine not exceeding $20,000. You understand that?

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

In an unusual turn of events, Commissioner Heydon then asked Mr Manase to submit to handwriting test from the witness chair.

Last week, the commission arrested former Canberra Raiders football star and construction union organiser John Lomax who was also charged with blackmail.

The federal police taskforce linked to the commission also made an arrest in Queensland last year.