Victorian underworld figure Mick Gatto has been arrested by detectives from Task Force Hawke, which is investigating corruption within the construction industry. The arrest took place at his Mount Martha property on the Mornington Peninsula south of Melbourne.
A search warrant was executed at two properties belonging to Gatto, his Mount Martha home and a second address in Melbourne's central business district. Gatto and a woman in her seventies were both arrested and interviewed for several hours before being released without charge pending further investigation.
Detectives seized a number of electronic devices and weapons from the properties, including a knife and a baton. The seizure of electronic devices suggests investigators are seeking digital evidence related to the corruption allegations.
Speaking to reporters as he left the police station, Gatto downplayed the arrest. When they use 20 or 30 police over a speeding fine, this country is in trouble, he told assembled media, describing the reason for his arrest as being over a speeding fine.
Gatto describes himself as a mediator and arbitrator who helps resolve disputes between builders and workers on building sites. However, a report by Geoffrey Watson SC prepared for a Queensland inquiry earlier this year alleged that Gatto had been a malignant influence on the CFMEU for a number of decades.
The Watson report also alleged that Gatto had received kickbacks in the realm of millions of dollars through his involvement in the construction industry. Gatto has consistently denied having criminal ties and maintains he is not above the law.
Task Force Hawke was established to investigate allegations of corruption and criminal infiltration in Australia's construction sector. The arrest of such a high-profile figure signals that the investigation is targeting individuals at the highest levels of alleged criminal influence in the industry.