Overview
- Former CFMEU leader John Setka appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with multiple counts alleging he used electronic communications to threaten, harass and offend a union administrator.
- Setka’s lawyer sought an adjournment while awaiting disclosure from Victoria Police and the CFMEU, and the matter was put off to a special mention and two-hour contested hearing on September 3 to resolve those disputes.
- A police prosecutor told the court officers would object to releasing at least some requested documents and said several sought items are not held by police and would need subpoenas to be produced from the CFMEU.
- Setka and his lawyer told the court he has received death threats that Victoria Police are investigating, and Setka told reporters outside court that he was unfazed by those threats.
- The case sits against Setka’s 2024 resignation after reporting about alleged criminal links in the construction sector and a separate Fair Work Ombudsman action, and he was arrested in November 2025 and says he intends to defend the charges.