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Victorian construction union boss John Setka has been interviewed by police over an alleged sexual assault in March.
He voluntarily attended Footscray police station with his lawyer Bernie Balmer on Thursday, where he was questioned by detectives and agreed to provide a DNA sample.
The Victorian CFMEU boss John Setka.Credit: Chris Hopkins
The Victorian secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union emphatically denied the allegations when contacted by this masthead.
“I categorically deny this,” he said. “There has been no sexual assault. It’s a crock of shit, and the sad thing is that people have to stoop to this level to make allegations like that. To me, it’s just disgusting.”
Setka stressed he had co-operated fully with police investigators.
“I welcome any investigation that will clear me,” he said. “It’s an absolute fabrication, an absolute lie.”
He said he was willing to undergo a lie detector test to prove his innocence.
Balmer confirmed he had attended the interview with Setka on Thursday.
“I have clear instructions from my client that he is innocent of all allegations,” Balmer said.
A police spokeswoman confirmed the union heavyweight had been interviewed over the alleged sexual assault on March 1 in West Footscray.
“It is alleged the 58-year-old Footscray man sexually assaulted a woman at a residential address at about 3am,” the police spokeswoman said. “He has been released pending further inquiries. The investigation remains ongoing.”
The police investigation of Setka comes within weeks of his estranged wife, Emma Walters, being charged with incitement to commit conspiracy to murder, incitement to acquire a firearm and making threats to kill.
Walters, who was granted bail, is accused of telling a private investigator she wanted to acquire a gun to kill her husband.
Walters has denied the charges and told Channel 7 at the time: “I was trying to get the security expert to assist me so JS can’t [sexually assault] me again, he [sexually assaulted] me on the 1st of March. I’m a traumatised woman who has been subjected to years of abuse. I’ll plead not guilty.”
Walters was arrested on the day she had arranged to report the alleged sexual assault. She had arranged to meet officers at 12.15pm that day at Werribee police station, but was arrested that morning.
During a hearing at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on May 11, Detective Leading Senior Constable Daniel Ramirez said private investigator Adrian Peeters was asked to visit Walters’ home in March to discuss his debugging services.
Walters allegedly asked the private investigator to help her get “a piece”. Ramirez said Walters allegedly went on to say: “I need you to get me a piece, and I need to kill the father of my children.”
The private investigator had said he then began recording the encounter because he was feeling uneasy.
He said Walters had said she was going to “lure” Setka and set him up, so it appeared she was acting in self-defence, the court heard.
“I’m going to have to use it. I know how to use it. I’m willing to deal with the consequences of going through the court,” she allegedly said.
The estranged couple have been embroiled in a protracted and bitter legal battle involving allegations that Setka committed acts of family violence and repeated breaches of intervention orders.
Walters is also suing the Victorian government over claims police failed to protect her after she made reports of alleged repeated family violence by Setka. She has claimed Setka has harassed her for several years.
This masthead has previously reported that lawyers for Walters allege Victoria Police failed a duty of care to protect her by not adequately dealing with the numerous statements and complaints she had made to Footscray police over several years.
In her Supreme Court writ, Walters alleged she was the victim of “numerous” family violence incidents involving Setka, and that four separate intervention orders had been in place to protect her.
Setka has denied allegations of domestic violence. In 2019, he was convicted of harassing Walters and breaching the orders. They then reconciled but have again separated.
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