Construction worker confronted by men linked to bikie gang, CFMEU inquiry hears
Queensland's CFMEU inquiry has heard three Melbourne men linked to the Comancheros bikie gang flew to Brisbane before one allegedly threatened a construction worker at a major government project.
Three men associated with the Comancheros bikie gang journeyed to Brisbane ahead of an alleged confrontation with a construction worker at a significant government project, as revealed by a commission of inquiry. Bemir Saracevic, Krstomir Bjelogrlic, and Mark Ahern arrived in Brisbane around 11:20 AM on June 5, 2024. The trio visited the Centenary Bridge upgrade site, where a crane operator reported being confronted around 12:30 PM.
Saracevic, previously the national president of the Comancheros, Bjelogrlic was his business partner, while Ahern served as the gang's former treasurer.
Security operator Gary Samuel, who handled security at the construction site, communicated with Saracevic on the phone and via text messages throughout the day. Samuel's phone signals coincided with the group's arrival at Brisbane Airport around 11:50 AM. The inquiry examined whether Samuel transported the three men to the Centenary Bridge site. BMD had hired HOST to provide security on the site following previous CFMEU disruptions.
Cody Raymond, a CFMEU delegate working on the crane, provided testimony about the incident. He noticed a group of four men using aggressive hand gestures near his colleague and one man verbally threatened Raymond, accusing him of threatening his men and using an intimidating tone. Raymond responded with a threat of his own, stating he would burn the man's house down and kill his children. The situation escalated, with Raymond alleging the man identified himself as Benji from the Comancheros.
BMD General Manager Rob Pickard denied prior knowledge of the incident and denied Samuel had informed him about the group's travel to Brisbane. Pickard also denied pointing at the bikie gang members and signaling traffic controllers during the incident. CCTV footage showed Pickard near the site, leading the inquiry to question if he and another BMD manager walked ahead of the four men before the confrontation.
Pickard denied being aware of the impending threat or hearing any alleged threats. The ABC refrains from alleging wrongdoing against Pickard, and the inquiry proceeds to hear from other senior BMD leaders.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
