Heavy Hire, run by accused cocaine trafficker, supplied equipment to Big Build
An equipment company directed by Fletcher's relative was raided by police over drug trafficking allegations.
Heavy Hire supplied diggers and machinery to key Big Build projects, including the North East Link and M80 widening, until this week. Since last November, a close relative of Timothy Fletcher has directed the company and is also a business associate of Fletcher.
Fletcher faces court charges for alleged cocaine trafficking and has previously shot a man in a gangland dispute. Fletcher was director of Khan Earthworks, which collapsed in 2022 owing $564,298 in unpaid tax.
A police taskforce raided Heavy Hire's premises Wednesday. Fletcher was not charged in the raid.
Major contractors and the Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Agency rushed to respond, answering questions about their due diligence. Heavy Hire was removed from some government sites after the story broke.
An industry source claimed underworld-linked firms removed from Big Build projects were simply replaced by other underworld-connected firms.
- $564,298 unpaid by Khan Earthworks in 2022
- Tax debt owed
- $109 billion program
- Big Build investment
Why it mattersThe scandal shows gaps in vetting. This applies to Victoria's largest infrastructure program. It matters because of a public promise. The government promised to root out organised crime involvement. That promise has not been kept.
AustraliaVictoria's Big Build, worth $109 billion, was supposed to be cleaned up after previous revelations of underworld infiltration; this discovery suggests the problem persists.
Corroborated bytheage.com.au·watoday.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
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