Two former friends have attacked each other's evidence in the trade union royal commission, with a new witness saying a key whistleblower stabbed himself in an attempt to make the powerful Victorian construction union look bad.
Construction supervisor Gary Cheetham took the stand at the commission on Thursday to challenge evidence given by his former friend and business partner Andrew Zaf, who testified about alleged corruption in the Victorian branch of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union in 2014.
Mr Zaf appeared in an ABC 7.30 Report story on alleged union corruption in January, 2014, and subsequently testified at the commission that he supplied Victorian CFMEU boss John Setka with a new roof for his house in order to secure industrial peace.
Mr Cheetham told the commission Mr Zaf told him he would make up a story about being "jumped" and stabbed outside his house.
Mr Cheetham, who fell out with Mr Zaf in 2014, said Mr Zaf spoke to him earlier that year about ways he could "make it look like the CFMEU were angry" with him.
"I remember him discussing with me about the blade sticking half out and how it wouldn't go too deep," Mr Cheetham said.
In written statements to the commission, Mr Cheetham said the stabbing incident "was self-inflicted" by Mr Zaf and Mr Zaf told him he wanted to draw attention to his on-air allegations of corruption.
Mr Cheetham said Mr Zaf would discuss stories and "run them by me to see what I thought" including that someone had loosened the wheel nuts on his car and that he had been chased by bikies.
Mr Zaf, in his written statement to the commission, said he was attacked as he got out of his car in the driveway of his home in March, 2014.
"I felt something hit my head and I blacked out," he said.
"When I came to I was on the ground and bleeding. I had a mark on my head and some cuts on my arms and leg."
Mr Zaf took the stand on Thursday and denied the claims of his former friend.
He said he had been attacked and had needed stitches for the cuts.
Barrister for the CFMEU John Agius said a police forensic report had found no evidence of blunt trauma to Mr Zaf's head after the attack, and a medical assessment at the hospital had found no visible injury.
Counsel assisting the commission, Sarah McNaughton SC, told the commission Victoria Police investigated the possibility that Mr Zaf's injuries were self-inflicted before any complaint from Mr Cheetham and found the injuries were "not definitive one way or the other".
The commission heard Mr Cheetham did not report his concerns to police until August 2014, after the falling out with Mr Zaf.
Both men gave different reasons for the falling out.
Mr Zaf's barrister, Eric Oates, asked Mr Cheetham why he did not mention Mr Zaf was "running ideas" past him when he made a statement to the Victorian police in December 2014, but did in a supplementary statement completed this week.
Mr Oates asked if Mr Cheetham's claims were "all fabrications ... in anticipation of questions you might receive today".
Mr Cheetham replied: "It's not a fabrication at all."
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