End the innuendo, says Thomson lawyer

Craig Thomson's lawyer Chris McArdle on Sky News. Source: Supplied

CRAIG Thomson's lawyer has told Tony Abbott to "shut his mouth" after the Opposition Leader commented on the police raids on the house and electoral office of the member for Dobell.

Chris McArdle told Sky News Opposition Leader Tony Abbott was alleging his client had committed criminal wrongdoing.

"If Mr Abbott has evidence of that he should come forward forthwith, or he should shut his mouth," he said.

"We will not tolerate our client being condemned by innuendo or ageing student politicians mouthing off.

"This is unacceptable conduct. Our client is an innocent man."

Speaking to reporters in Adelaide earlier today, Mr Abbott encouraged Mr Thomson to fully co-operate with the police .

"I think it's very important this member of parliament fully co-operates with police," Mr Abbott said.

"The police have shown a lot of diligence in trying to ensure that low paid workers' money is not misused."

Craig Thomson's lawyer defends him after continuing allegations of rorting union credit cards.

And a top Victorian police officer expressed anger at the media tip-off.

In a statement this afternoon, Detective-Supt Brett Guerin of the Serious Crime Operations said:  "I share Mr McArdle's outrage at the media's apparent knowledge of these activities this morning. The last thing our detectives need is to be knocking on someone's door with a media scrum watching. It helps no one but the media. Victoria Police is very conscious of the high-profile nature of this investigation and has been resolute in the information they have provided to the media. I would love to know how the media knew what was happening."

This morning, police raided Mr Thomson's home on the NSW Central Coast and left several hours later carrying sealed evidence bags.

Detectives then seized a computer hard drive, documents and other items from Mr Thomson's electoral office at Tuggerah.

But while Mr Thomson praised police handling of the search, his lawyer, Chris McArdle, lashed out, saying it was "scandalous" that news crews arrived around the same time as police, adding ii was like "something out of a Kafka novel".

"Mr Thomson knew nothing about this, but every journalist in the country did,'' he said.

He said the police were not supposed to be a public relations agency for those in politics with an interest in seeing Mr Thomson fall.

MP Craig Thomson faces the media after police seized documents from his Bateau Bay home . Picture: Peter Clark

''The police are an independent statutory force with an objective to investigate matters,'' he told reporters.

''They are not a public relations agency for political parties. People should not use the independent force as some sort of stunt squad.

Mr McArdle said his client would eventually be cleared.

''He's not going to be charged with a criminal offence and he's going to win the civil case. End of story,'' he said.

Mr McArdle said his client was being hounded only because his vote mattered in a hung Parliament.

"This is a person whose life has been trashed. If the government had a majority of five seats, no one would have ever heard of Craig Thomson except his constituents,'' he said

"Obviously, as is the normality in these things, the target of the search warrant was taken completely by surprise,'' he told the ABC.

Embattled cross-bencher says he does not expect to be charged after a police raid on his Bateau Bay home.

"The scandalous aspect of this, is that press arrived almost at the same time as the police and a camera crew was outside at almost the same time as the police."

Mr McArdle queried whether the purpose of the raid was the administration of justice or a continuing campaign against Mr Thomson.

"We are supremely confident that there will be no charge brought before a court by the police against our client.''

Earlier, Mr McArdle said the MP was very distressed and worried by the raid although he appeared calm when confronted by reporters outside his home.

"His family are obviously very distressed,'' Mr McArdle said.

"Police have an obligation to investigate matters and we understand and appreciate that. However, we anticipate that no charges with be laid.''

Mr McArdle went on to say that he believes the raid "will be one more brick in the wall of Mr Thomson's innocence".

Police leave MP Craig Thomson's Bateau Bay home with seized documents . Picture: Peter Clark

Jackson slams Thomson's 'mantra'

Meanwhile, HSU National Secretary Kathy Jackson has criticised Mr Thomson for not taking questions from the media and "repeating his mantra" after his home and electoral office were raided by police earlier today.

"All this morning reinforces in my mind is that there has been criminal activity within that NSW HSU branch and it continues," she told Macquarie radio.

Ms Jackson rejected Mr Thomson's claims the police investigation was into the HSU branch and not himself personally.

"My understanding is that Victorian police are looking at Craig Thomson, there is no other reason they raided his house today," she said.

"For him to come out and say, he gave them a few documents, well they raided his house and they took the documents ...

"He has not co-operated with the police, this is why they have executed warrants and this was why they have gone down this path."

Fraud squad officers have raided the home of embattled federal MP Craig Thomson.

Electoral office and house raided

Earlier today police took samples of Craig Thomson's handwriting, which his lawyer says will prove he did not use union funds to pay for prostitutes, during raid on the MP's home and electorate office today.

Officers raided Mr Thomson's NSW Central Coast  home just after 7.20 am (AEDT) on behalf of Victoria Police who are investigating allegations Mr Thomson improperly used Health Services Union (HSU) funds to spend on prostitutes, air travel, entertainment and cash withdrawals in excess of $100,000.

They spent about two-and-half hours at the house after arriving in a convoy of vehicles. About eight officers left shortly after 10am (AEDT) carrying sealed evidence bags which they loaded into five police cars.

They then headed to Mr Thomson's electoral office at Tuggerah where detectives seized a computer hard drive, documents and other items.

NSW detective-inspector David Christey said the operation resulted from an ongoing investigation in Victoria.

"The warrant has been issued with information that has been provided by the Victorians," Mr Christie said outside the electoral office.

Fraud squad detectives raid MP Craig Thomson's house. Picture: Channel 7

"The items that have been seized will be returning to Melbourne with them."

Victoria Police are reportedly in the final stages of their investigation but would not comment on the operation.

But both Mr Thomson and his lawyer Chris McArdle maintain the former Labor MP has done nothing wrong.

Mr McArdle said police took samples of  Mr Thomson's handwriting and at least one computer from his home.

"The samples of handwriting will prove that he did not sign these infamous dockets, these credit card receipts at houses of ill repute,'' Mr McArdle said.

Mr Thomson emerged from the house around 10.30am (AEDT) and told media police had taken a "couple of documents" during the search that he had volunteered.

"I've done nothing wrong and we are fully co-operating with police in relation to the Health Services Union investigation,'' Mr Thomson said.

Fraud squad detectives raid MP Craig Thomson's house. Picture: Channel 7

"`We think there is still some time for this investigation to go before it's concluded.

"But I'm very much looking to it concluding, hopefully, before the end of this year.''

Mr Thomson said he had not been charged with anything.

He said there was not much more he could add, given the investigation was ongoing.

Under intense questioning reporters, Mr Thomson said he did "not expect to be charged in relation to this matter''.

"I expect that at the end of the day, the position I have taken, where I spoke for over an hour in parliament, which I have said in the last four years that I have done no wrongdoing, will be vindicated,'' he said.

Faced with a barrage of questions from reporters, Mr Thomson cut short his press conference and went back inside his house.

Fraud squad detectives raid MP Craig Thomson's house. Picture: Channel 7

Shortly after, Mr Thomson's wife ran over camera equipment belonging to a Sky News team as she tried to leave the house.

Zoe Arnold, Mr Thomson's wife, was trying to avoid a media pack when the accident happened.

Police from two states in raid

NSW Police confirmed they assisted Victoria Police in executing a search warrant on Mr Thomson's property.

In a statement, Victoria Police said a warrant was executed in Bateau Bay on Wednesday morning with the assistance of NSW police, as part of the Operation Vespine investigation.

"Fraud and extortion squad detectives would like to thank NSW police Strike Force Carnarvon for their ongoing assistance,'' the statement said.

"As the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further.''

Detectives raid the home of Craig Thomson at Bateau Bay, NSW. Picture: Channel 7

The joint operation was not without controversy, with Victoria Police this afternoon issuing a statement questioning who tipped off the media about the raid.

''The safety and security of investigators when executing search warrants is of the utmost importance to Victoria Police,'' the statement said.

''To alert the media of such warrants prior to them being executed, and keeping in mind the privacy of those concerned, is not the practice of Victoria Police.''

The Thomson accusations

The Victorian Police investigation focuses solely on allegations Mr Thomson, while national secretary of the HSU based in Melbourne between 2002-2007, spent more thann $6000 on prostitutes using union credit cards and took more than $100,000 off the cards in cash withdrawals - some of which is alleged was spent on personal items. Fair Work Australia also alleges alleged some of that money was also used on prostitutes.

A separate NSW Police investigation is looking at broader allegations of fraud of the HSU allegedly involving former HSU boss Michael Williamson and also Mr Thomson.

That investigation is looking into claims both men received credit cards from a printing firm contracted by the union as "secret commissions".

Last week Fair Work Australia (FWA) launched civil action against Mr Thomson alleging he breached workplace laws 37 times and misused almost $500,000 when he was national secretary of the HSU from 2002 to 2007.

Federal Police carry evidence from the office of Craig Thomson's electorate office. Picture: Waide Maguire

The former Labor MP, now an independent, faces fines of up to $450,000 if the court finds, among other things, he spent thousands of dollars of union funds on prostitutes.

Mr Thomson has maintained his innocence and says the case won't go anywhere.

Raid a blow for Gillard government

The police raid on Mr Thomson's house is another blow for the Gillard Government which has also seen its hand-picked Speaker, Peter Slipper, resign in disgrace a fortnight ago over a batch of lewd emails were made public.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard in late April sought to distance her Government from Mr Thomson, announcing that a "line had been crossed'' and that the former Health Services Union boss would resign from the Labor Caucus and sit on the cross-benches in parliament.

In the first reaction to the Thomson raid, Senior Gillard Government Minister and Senate Leader Chris Evans offered cautious support for the suspended Labor MP, saying he was entitled to "the presumption of innocence'' following the police raid.

"Obviously these are matters of huge public controversy. We should let these things run their course,'' Senator Evans told Sky News.

Federal Police carry evidence from the office of Craig Thomson's electorate office. Picture: Waide Maguire

The police, he said, "have to do their job and we should refrain from commenting on it until its clear what the outcomes are.''

Opposition workplace relations spokesman Eric Abetz said the raid was a significant development in "this ongoing saga''.

"It is now clear that despite Mr Thomson's repeated claims to the contrary, he is a person of interest in both the Victorian and NSW police fraud squad investigations,'' Senator Abetz said in a statement.

Manager of opposition business Christopher Pyne said Prime Minister Gillard needed to say whether Labor would continue to accept Mr Thomson's vote in federal parliament.

"We left parliament two weeks ago mired in scandal," Mr Pyne said in Adelaide.

"We go back next Monday continuing to be steeped in scandal.

"And if Julia Gillard wanted to restore integrity to the way Australians think about the parliament she would announce she would not accept Craig Thomson's tainted vote."

Federal Police carry evidence from the office of Craig Thomson's electorate office. Picture: Waide Maguire

The raid comes just one week after the under siege MP sat down exclusively with the Central Coast Express Advocate and pleaded with voters to be judged on his record.

"Judge me on what I have done and want to do and will continue to dedicate myself to doing for this area," he said.

"All the other stuff you can put aside,'' Mr Thomson said.

HSU president charged

Earlier this month, Strike Force Carnarvon charged former HSU national president Michael Williamson with 20 offences.

It's alleged Mr Williamson recruited five former and current HSU officials to hinder police investigations.

In May, Strike Force Carnarvon officers raided the central headquarters of the union's east branch, seizing documents and computers in search of evidence relating to a broader investigation into allegations Williamson and Mr Thomson received secret commissions from a union supplier.

Former Labor MP Craig Thomson's NSW house has been raided by fraud squad detectives. File picture: Kym Smith

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