Two men charged over secret commissions case in Victoria
Police in the Australian state of Victoria have arrested and charged two men as part of an investigation into alleged secret commissions in the construction sector. According to police, one of those arrested is suspected of fraud involving more than A$424,000.
As reported by ABC News Australia, detectives from Taskforce Hawk, together with the VIPER organised crime unit, searched two homes in Wandin East and Preston after 7:15 a.m. on Tuesday.
Charges against the detainees
A 45-year-old Wandin East resident was charged with obtaining financial advantage by deception, making and using a false document. Police also said that he was subject to a firearms prohibition order and allegedly failed to notify authorities of a change of address within 24 hours.
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The man was released on bail and is due to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on September 3. The other detainee, a 38-year-old Preston resident, was charged with making a false document. He was also released on bail pending a hearing at the Heidelberg Magistrates' Court scheduled for December 4.
Investigation in the construction industry
Victoria Police defines a secret commission as the corrupt giving, receiving or soliciting of an undisclosed financial benefit, reward, payment or kickback. According to police, the arrests are part of Taskforce Hawk's ongoing investigation into alleged secret commissions, drug trafficking and fraud.
Last week, law enforcement officers raided six locations in Melbourne, including the office of the Victorian branch of the CFMEU union in the city's central business district, and arrested five men. Taskforce Hawk was established in June 2024 to investigate criminal activity in the construction sector, including the infiltration of criminal motorcycle gangs into major Victorian government infrastructure projects.
