KEY One Nation staffer Sean Black has been arrested by detectives in the latest scandal to engulf the party this week.
His arrest follows explosive tape recordings released revealing party figures discussing ways to “make money” out of the state election.
Black, 39, a senior adviser to Queensland One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts, was taken through the Roma Street watch-house just before noon yesterday. He had flown into Brisbane from Canberra on Tuesday night.
He is facing a number of historical charges, three counts of common assault and three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm assault, but The Courier-Mail cannot publish more details for legal reasons.
Complaints were made to the Queensland Police Service late last year.
Black was one of the early recruits to One Nation Senate staff when they were swept to power in last year’s election, taking up his position in September.
He appeared before the Brisbane Magistrates Court yesterday afternoon, where it was revealed some of the allegations dated back to 2007….
Mr Black is a media adviser to Queensland Senator Malcolm Roberts……
The case will return to court on June 19.
Mr Black was one of the early recruits to One Nation Senate staff when they were swept to power in the 2016 election, taking up his position in September.
The former real estate agent has a long history in politics, as well as volunteering in former LNP MP Michael Pucci’s 2012 election campaign.
He served as a Logan City Councillor for four years, from 2008, and was previously married to fellow councillor Hajnal Ban.
BACKGROUND
The Courier Mail, 6 February 2017, p.14:
One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has given his "full support" to a senior staffer who had domestic violence concerns raised about him.
Senator Roberts' policy adviser Sean Black was swept up in a complaint to the Crime and Corruption Commission after it was alleged confidential information may have been given to him.
The complaint alleged Logan councillor Darren Power was told about protective measures put in place to safeguard Mr Black's former partner after she approached council with domestic violence concerns about him.
Cr Power strongly denies being told about the protective measures, claiming the complaint was payback for opposing a controversial development in his council division.
Despite repeated approaches, Mr Black declined to comment on the allegations. In a Facebook post, Senator Roberts defended Mr Black, saying he was a "personal friend" who was a "great asset to our team". "I have seen no evidence of the caricature he is painted to be," Senator Roberts wrote. "He loves his family, has a great sense of humour and is extremely well liked by all those who associate with him."
The Courier Mail, 5 February 2017, p.3:
The CCC refused to confirm a complaint had been received. But a spokeswoman for Logan Mayor Luke Smith declined to comment because of the "involvement" of the CCC.
Mr Black, despite repeated approaches, made no comment for this story but stopped it running in last week's Sunday Mail by applying for an eleventh-hour injunction that prevented its publication.
Those orders were revoked during a closed court application hearing on Monday in Brisbane's Supreme Court.
Cr Power, according to a document obtained by The Sunday Mail, was called into Mayor Smith's office in December for a conversation about the domestic violence concerns against Mr Black.
"I found this unusual as Cr Smith and I have a difficult relationship and we rarely talk in private," Cr Power writes in the document, dated January 22 this year, which was given to Mr Black.
"Cr Smith then told me that he had heard that Sean Black has a habit of domestic violence, that he 'bashed his former wife' and that 'it was just a matter of time before it catches up with him and that the papers are aware', and that 'is (sic) all about to explode' in the media." The long-time councillor, who has been repeatedly elected since 1997, claimed he believed Cr Smith had heard this information directly from Mr Black's former partner: "Cr Smith led me to believe that the story that was about to break in the paper would 'mean Sean Black would be one of the most politically maligned individuals in Australia'," the document says. It was supplied to the CCC as part of the complaint.
He was forced out of the ALP for his role in a vote-rigging scandal detailed in the Shepherdson corruption inquiry – although he was never charged – and subsequently gravitated towards conservative politics.
In 2008, he was elected to the Logan City Council, where he was accused of bullying and flying into fits of uncontrollable rage.
At one stage, he was banned from entering council chambers or dealing with staff after a string of complaints of intimidation.
The mayor at the time said he had a "sad history of unacceptable behaviour" and ordered special security arrangements for any meetings he attended. Colleagues said he was disruptive and chaotic.
At the time Mr Black admitted to raising his voice and swearing but said the ban was a result of his political enemies trying to silence him.
With One Nation on track to make big gains at the next Queensland election, sources say Mr Black is in the frame as a potential state leader.
While his four years on Logan City Council were tumultuous, he is one of the precious few One Nation figures with experience in elected office….
On his Facebook page, Mr Black has admitted to struggling to control his temper, including last year when he launched into a foul-mouthed rant and threw a coaster at a man wearing an offensive T-shirt about Tony Abbott.
"So today I snapped," he wrote. "Our greatest prime minister, Tony Abbott, is being taunted, derided and disrespected. I've had a gut full of pansy conservatives who won't stick up for freedom, Tony, or our nation. Time to grow balls and pick some fights folks."
The Courier Mail, 27 February 2015, p.19:
A T-shirt bagging Prime Minister Tony Abbott has sparked a beer-coaster blue involving a former Logan councillor.
In one of the more bizarre political battles of the year, former Logan councillor Sean Black and his mother aimed an outburst at a fellow diner at a suburban restaurant.
The pair threw coasters at a patron at the Beach House restaurant at Garden City, before launching into a foul-mouthed rant and being asked to leave….
Behind his keyboard, Mr Black launched into a tirade to defend Mr Abbott. "Our greatest prime minister, Tony Abbott, is being taunted, derided and dis respected," he wrote. “I’ve had a gut full of pansy conservatives who won't stick up for freedom, Tony, or our nation. Time to grow balls and pick some fights folks."
The Courier Mail, 31 August 2011, p.12:
The State Government has hired private investigators to find out whether a land deal involving married Logan councillors Hajnal and Sean Black was shady.
RISQ Group has been employed by the Department of Local Government and Planning to investigate a conflict of interest over the multimillion-dollar property sale at Park Ridge, south of Brisbane, after claims the couple should have declared a pecuniary interest.
Cr Sean Black said they had "co-operated fully with the department's inquiries".
"The ALP has attempted to have these private family matters investigated for quite some time," he said. "The department, to my understanding from a conversation this morning, will not be prosecuting on any of the matters referred by (Logan MP John) Mickel."
The investigation related to the Blacks' involvement in the sale of a $2.25 million property belonging to an old, sick friend, of whom Hajnal Black (nee Ban) was the power-of-attorney. The Courier-Mail has been told it is still ongoing….
Local Government Minister Paul Lucas said the process was completely independent and challenged Cr Sean Black to take the matter further if he thought it was politically motivated.
"Sean Black has been in more political parties than I've had hot dinners and has managed to cultivate enemies in all of them," Mr Lucas said.
"If Cr Black has issues with process, he is more than welcome to follow other processes, but he won't - he'd much rather sling mud."
ABC Premium News, 31 March 2009:
A Logan councillor insists he will still be able to do his job despite being banned from face-to-face contact with council staff.
Logan Mayor Pam Parker says Councillor Sean Black will only be allowed in council buildings under strict supervision.
Councillor Black will continue representing Logan's Division Four but will be supervised by security when attending Council meetings.
The decision to restrict his movements came after numerous complaints from council staff of abusive behaviour and harassment.
Councillor Parker says there has also been a workers compensation claim lodged for bullying against Councillor Black.
"He has been apologetic for this, he's been apologetic many times for his behaviour," she said.
She say his behaviour cannot be tolerated.
"It's not every day you get a councillor yelling screaming, swearing and showing displays of uncontrollable anger in the work force," she said.
"We have a duty of care and legal liability to protect our staff from this sort of behaviour."
Councillor Black says he did get frustrated and yell and swear at his colleagues but denies he bullied staff.
