‘Completely separate’: CFMEU probe’s crime link slammed
A business accused of having links to underworld figure Mick Gatto has hit out at allegations from the CFMEU corruption investigation.
In an unusual move, Queensland’s commissioner Stuart Wood, who chairs the CFMEU inquiry, called a media conference to publicly question M1 Traffic Control’s new operation on the Gold Coast.
Senior counsel assisting Patrick Wheelahan linked the Queensland operation to CFMEU corruption exposed in Victoria by barrister Geoffrey Watson’s “Rot from the Top” report.
Mr Wheelahan said the corporate structure of the Queensland operation was similar to Victoria’s M Group traffic control company, which was allegedly linked to Gatto.
But M1 Queensland manager Jordan Paragalli denied the allegations, telling AAP he was the sole operator and had “absolutely nothing to do” with Gatto or the Victorian corruption allegations.
“I’ve been here 15 days,” he said, and nearby businesses confirmed that business signs had gone up just two days earlier.
“It’s a separate initiative, and yes, it’s a completely separate initiative with no CFMEU connection or anything like that, even though it’s under the same umbrella.”
Queensland investigation officials held a media conference outside the Gold Coast address shared by M1 Traffic Control QLD on Wednesday to seek information.
It was the first time since the Fitzgerald inquiry into political corruption in the late 1980s that a commissioner had made a public plea while a legal inquiry was ongoing in Queensland.
“We have been tasked with conducting an investigation and the terms of reference are very broad,” Mr. Wheelahan said.
“We are supported by Queensland Police and it is appropriate that we do this to rally the public’s support so they can get more information.”
Gatto was first linked to Group M by Mr Watson’s report.
“Inexplicable favoritism” towards the group was found by the CFMEU, a regulation that generated tens of millions of dollars.
Mr Wheelahan said it would be “negligent” for the inquiry not to investigate possible links to Gatto as construction begins ahead of the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane.
“The pot of money in the build-up to the Olympics will now clearly be in Queensland; I think $130 billion will be spent,” he said.
“Queensland doesn’t want to end up like Victoria.”
Mr Wheelahan said M1 Traffic Control Group’s corporate structure was similar to the company’s Victorian structure and appointed Jordan David Paragalli as Queensland company director.
The Watson report found that father Tony Paragalli was Gatto’s frontrunner and was nominated as a “dummy manager” for at least 28 companies in areas such as security services, transport, hotels and telecommunications.
Jordan Paragalli confirmed that Tony Paragalli is his father but stated that the allegations in the CFMEU investigation were false and disrespectful.
He claimed the CFMEU inquiry made “absolutely no attempt” to contact him before publishing the allegations.
“This would also hurt my business and related businesses on the same block because they would be advertised in the background,” he said.
“It’s a separate company. It’s run by me… so I find this incredibly disrespectful. It doesn’t get any more fake than that.”
“If I have to move back to Melbourne because it will damage my brand, who will pay my rent and expenses like that?”
AAP has attempted to contact Tony Paragalli for comment.
The Queensland CFMEU told AAP it had no connection with the M1 group.
Mr Wood said there were no findings against the Queensland arm of the M1 group, which had a right to procedural fairness.
The commissioner could not ignore further public calls as the investigation continued, with the final report published in July.
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