Arabic version: سيتكا يتعهد بمكافحة التهم بعد مثوله أمام محكمة في ملبورن

According to ABC News, former CFMEU boss John Setka has appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court over allegations that he used a telecommunications device to menace and offend. The 61-year-old was charged last month in connection with an Instagram post allegedly featuring images of former union administrator Mark Irving KC and assistant administrator Matt McGowan.

Setka was charged with using a telecommunications device to menace, using a telecommunications device to offend, and two counts of committing an indictable offence while on bail. He had also been charged with similar offences in November last year and February this year.

After the brief hearing on Thursday morning, Setka told reporters he stood by his posts and vowed to fight the charges. He also criticised Irving and McGowan, describing the administrators as “ALP hacks” and saying they were driving the union “into the ground”. Irving was contacted for comment, while the union declined to make a statement on McGowan’s behalf.

The court also heard that Setka had been charged with family violence-related offences. He said the matter would be “heavily contested” and suggested it concerned his taking of a car he claimed was his. His lawyers said they had received CCTV material that morning and had not yet reviewed it. They are also seeking additional material from prosecutors, which they indicated they would object to.

Setka led the CFMEU for more than a decade before stepping down in 2024. Irving was appointed administrator of the union in August 2024 and resigned from the role in 2026. Setka is due to return to court on October 9.