PROSECUTORS have started to call brothel owners to give evidence in their case against former MP Craig Thomson, who is defending allegations he used union funds to pay for porn and prostitutes.
Prosecutors allege Mr Thomson used union credit cards to hire escorts, pay for X-rated movies, withdraw cash, buy cigarettes and pay for interstate flights for himself and his wife.
Brothel owner Peter Lazarus, who owns A Touch of Class in Sydney's Surry Hills, told the court services cost $300 an hour plus a 10 per cent fee for credit card payments.
The court heard a $660 transaction was listed on a credit card used by Mr Thomson while he was HSU secretary.
The amount was recorded as being paid to "Staff Call", the merchant name of A Touch Of Class, the court heard.
Earlier, the court heard Mr Thomson has access to several credit cards and was the only union official who could withdraw cash from at least one of the cards.
HSU honorary national president Lloyd Williams told the court union cards didn't have the facility to allow users to withdraw cash.
He said he learnt Mr Thomson could withdraw cash from his card following an exit audit conducted after Mr Thomson left the union.
"I was flabbergasted. It was unheard of," he said.
"I didn't understand why a union official would need to withdraw cash."
Who's been a naughty boy, then? 
These rorts are terrible, should be a royal commission into them 
You can't really shield them in court can you silverfaun?
Let's hope all of these shonks in the liberal party are given the same treatment, eh?
@pct001wine wrote:Looking forward to Somlyay getting his day in court
Yes, more than $300 + 10% gone astray threre.
@icyfroth wrote:PROSECUTORS have started to call brothel owners to give evidence in their case against former MP Craig Thomson, who is defending allegations he used union funds to pay for porn and prostitutes.
Prosecutors allege Mr Thomson used union credit cards to hire escorts, pay for X-rated movies, withdraw cash, buy cigarettes and pay for interstate flights for himself and his wife.
Brothel owner Peter Lazarus, who owns A Touch of Class in Sydney's Surry Hills, told the court services cost $300 an hour plus a 10 per cent fee for credit card payments.
The court heard a $660 transaction was listed on a credit card used by Mr Thomson while he was HSU secretary.
The amount was recorded as being paid to "Staff Call", the merchant name of A Touch Of Class, the court heard.
Had a tape dropout occurred on Monday’s proceedings, it may have erased any record of the whole appearance on the stand by jet-setting former brothel owner, Peter Lazaris, whose entire testimony lasted no more than five minutes and, as both Greg James and the magistrate pointed out, could have been covered by simply reading an entry on one of the credit card statements.
Mr Lazaris, who was not summoned to appear by either the prosecution or the defence, apparently volunteered of his own volition and out of the goodness of his heart, to fly from Sydney to Melbourne to appear at the hearing yesterday.
Before Mr Lazaris was called by the prosecution, Greg James, QC, appearing for Craig Thomson, objected, telling the court that
“… calling this witness serves an obvious purpose.”
It soon became very clear what purpose Mr James meant.
Jet-setting brothel owner Peter Lazaris (Image by Luis Ascui via smh.com.au)
Mr Lazaris’ sum contribution consisted of confirming he once owned the A Touch of Class brothel; that it used an alias identity – ‘Staff Call’ – when it billed credit cards; that it destroyed all its photographic and accounting records after six years; and that he’d instructed his madams to obtain ID when processing credit card transactions — hardly the sort of material this writer would consider worthy of a Murdoch broadsheet using in its hysterical headline and 17 paragraphs of titillating testimony.
After lunch, the second row of seats in courtroom #22 were somewhat emptier than before this witness’ brief appearance; the vultures had been fed.
Which was, of course, the only purpose Lazaris served.
