A former CFMEU organiser and ACT Labor sub-branch secretary who allegedly told a subcontractor to give him money to "get some people off your back" has been committed to stand trial.
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Halafihi "Fihi" Kivalu, 39, was arrested following damning evidence at the trade union royal commission in July that suggested he had blackmailed a local subcontractor.
The arrest came after covert recordings were played to the royal commission of Kivalu allegedly demanding money from formwork subcontractor Elias Taleb.
Kivalu has previously pleaded not guilty to the two blackmail charges, and maintained those pleas when he appeared before the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday, represented by lawyer Toni Tu'ulakitau.
Special Magistrate Ken Cush committed the case for trial in the ACT Supreme Court, and it will appear there this month for preliminary directions.
Kivalu was a union organiser between 2010 and November 2014.
He allegedly blackmailed Mr Taleb in relation to a residential development at Yarralumla between March 2012 and May 2013, and an apartment complex development in Braddon between October and November 2013.
Court documents allege Mr Taleb believed he needed to make payments to the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union to win work and avoid disruptions on his sites.
It is alleged Kivalu collected tens of thousands of dollars in payments from Mr Taleb.
"Kivalu told Taleb that because he was new in town it would be difficult for him to secure work and so he would need to pay people off," police alleged in a statement of facts.
"Kivalu made it clear to Taleb that if he did not pay him $50,000 to secure the Yarralumla site, one of his competitors would pay and the work would go to them."
It is alleged the CFMEU shut down the Braddon site in late 2013.
Mr Taleb said he arrived and asked Kivalu what the reasons for the shutdown were.
Mr Taleb allegedly asked: "Am I going to have to pay you for every single job? How does this work?"
Kivalu is alleged to have replied: "Don't worry, we'll sort it out."
Police say the CFMEU then left the site, and Kivalu called Mr Taleb later that afternoon.
"Look I sorted it, but you are going to have to give me some money, let's do the deal," Kivalu allegedly said.
He also allegedly told Mr Taleb: "Well, give me some money to get some people off your back."
Mr Taleb said he then paid Kivalu $20,000.
Kivalu is a former president of the ALP's Dickson-Morning sub-branch in Canberra.
