Claims CASA staff knew of payment for illegal flights

A PILOT accused of receiving government payments for chartering North Queensland MPS illegally has claimed employees within the government’s peak aviation body knew taxpayer funds were being spent.

The explosive claims were made by North Queensland pilot Josh Hoch in recorded phone calls played in evidence on day four of his trial in Townsville District Court.

Hoch has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging that he flew charter flights for members of Katter’s Australian Party between 2011 and 2015, without the proper authority to charge for the trips.

His charges include five counts of not authorised to perform a duty, dishonestly gain benefit at a value of more than $30,000 and several counts of dishonestly gain a benefit.

It is not suggested that the Katters have engaged in any wrongdoing.

Members of Katter’s Australian Party including Bob Katter, Robbie Katter and Shane Knuth on Thursday took to the stand to give evidence.

It is alleged that during the flights, Hoch had not held an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and that he had only held a private pilots licence, instead of the required commercial licence.

Pilots cannot conduct charter flights if they do not hold an AOC.

It is alleged Hoch was then paid money from the government for the flights.

In phone calls intercepted by police which were played for the court, Hoch claimed some mid-level employees at the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) not only knew he had been operating charter flights without an AOC, but that it was an “open joke” within the body “for years”.

In one phone call, Hoch discussed paid work he had done for Kennedy MP Bob Katter.

“(Investigators will see) all the work for Bob Katter and stuff like that,” Hoch said.

“The trouble is, is that everyone in CASA knew about it … a lot of people are going to go down.”

In a separate conversation, Hoch claimed employees had joked about him operating without the certificate “for years”.

“… I mean, CASA knew about it, they were laughing, they said ‘get this guy legalled’.”

In another call

Hoch made a claim that he had “$500k worth of Bob Katter work” in his history.

That amount is understood to be an exaggeration and is not subject to charges in the trial. In cross examination by barrister Michael Hibble, Detective Senior Constable Chris Brooks said a complaint by pilot Luke Westerhuis had sparked investigations into the alleged f r a u d against the state and federal government.

Mr Westerhuis earlier told the trial Hoch told him he had previously conducted a charter flight for Mr Katter Sr under a “private operations” or “cost sharing” arrangement.

A cost sharing flight means costs are paid equally in relation to the costs of the flight, not for the service itself, and that a profit is not gained. He told the court police had conducted investigations – including interviews and statements from Townsville and other CASA employees – into the claims that some staff had been aware Hoch had been flying without an AOC.

But when asked whether employee records, emails, notes or meetings had been searched, Det Sen Constable Brooks said they had not.

The Crown on Friday afternoon closed their case.

The trial continues.