http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/cfmeu-bosses-may-face-criminal-charges/a...Police in three states are investigating the most senior leaders of the CFMEU for allegations ranging from receiving secret commissions to blackmail as a result of evidence gathered by investigators working alongside the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption.
A Fairfax Media investigation can reveal the CFMEU's national president and Labor factional boss Dave Hanna has quit the union as a major criminal investigation examines allegations that he took secret commissions.
Hanna, who until his resignation this month was also the CFMEU's Queensland president and was previously a state ALP vice-president, is the subject of a joint state and federal police inquiry into allegations concerning kickbacks and the operations of a union fund.
In Victoria, the most senior bosses of the CFMEU's construction division are also facing serious criminal allegations of blackmail.
A Victoria Police taskforce, Heracles, has recently taken witness statements from multiple construction industry figures as detectives attempt to charge Victorian CFMEU secretary John Setka and his deputy, Shaun Reardon, with blackmail in connection to the union's campaign against concrete firm Boral.
Police witnesses have been advised by detectives that a criminal brief against Mr Setka and Mr Reardon has been completed and that police are waiting to receive legal advice before laying charges.
The CFMEU's NSW secretary Brian Parker is also being investigated by police after phone taps were recently aired at the union royal commission, which revealed his close relationship with organised crime figure, and allegedly crooked labour hire firm boss, George Alex.
The police investigations are now effectively targeting the CFMEU's most powerful figures across three states and, if they result in charges and convictions, could be fatal to the union's hope of avoiding being deregistered or placed into administration.
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