Victims criticize Victoria Police for investigation failures

Victims of alleged criminal behavior linked to Gatto, associated with the CFMEU union, are expressing anger towards Victoria Police. They feel let down by the police's Operation Hawk, which was supposed to investigate their complaints. In October 2023, a developer named Joe Toscano reported that Gatto was making threats and intimidating his business. Toscano claimed Gatto was getting payments from Cobolt Construction, a firm in conflict with him. Despite two complaints from Toscano, police did not investigate the source of Gatto's payments. Instead, Toscano felt the police just “ticked the box” to seem like they were investigating. The situation escalated as federal police conducted raids on Gatto's accountant, looking into possible illegal payments related to construction firms. However, Victoria Police stated they were not informed about these raids. Toscano voiced his frustration after seeing police leadership assert they were conducting thorough investigations. He highlighted that, despite presenting evidence and making serious allegations, little was done to address his case. Another complainant also reported Gatto, stating he was offered CFMEU support for a hefty payment. This complaint was shuffled between police and the Fair Work Commission without any real action taken. Victoria Police defended their actions, stating Toscano's claims were fully assessed but did not meet criminal thresholds. Meanwhile, the federal investigation continues to uncover potential illegal practices involving Gatto and various building firms.