CFMEU boss John Setka accused of sexual assault in Melbourne

One of Australia’s most powerful union bosses has been interviewed by police over an alleged sexual assault.

John Setka ‘categorically’ denies the accusations which relate to an alleged incident that took place in March this year in West Footscray in western Melbourne, and said he is co-operating with police to clear his name.

The bombshell allegation comes after his estranged wife Emma Walters was accused of plotting to kill the Victorian secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union.

She was charged in March with incitement to commit conspiracy to murder after it was alleged she asked a private investigator to help her get a gun to kill her husband. 

Setka has fiercely denied the allegations of sexual assault calling them ‘disgusting’.

‘I categorically deny this,’ he said. ‘There has been no sexual assault. It’s a crock of s***, and the sad thing is that people have to stoop to this level to make allegations like that,’ he told The Age. 

‘I welcome any investigation that will clear me, it’s an absolute fabrication, an absolute lie.’

The trade unionist agreed to provide a DNA sample to police and said he is willing to take a lie detector test. 

Victorian Police said it is alleged a 58-year-old Footscray man sexually assaulted a woman at a residence on March 1 this year at 3am. 

Officers said Setka has been released while investigations are ongoing.  

Walters previously accused Setka of sexually assaulting her on March 1, claiming she was a ‘traumatised woman’ who had faced years of abuse. 

She also denies she tried to acquire a firearm to kill her husband through a meeting with private investigator Adrian Peeters. 

Mr Peeters visited Walters’ home in March to discuss his debugging services with her, the Melbourne Magistrates Court heard this month. 

Detective Leading Senior Constable Daniel Ramirez told the court Walters said to the investigator: ‘I need you to get me a piece and I need to kill the father of my children.’ 

The bombshell allegation comes after his estranged wife Emma Walters was accused of plotting to kill the Victorian secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (pictured)

Mr Peeters claimed Walters told him she wanted to lure Setka and set him up where it would look like she was acting in self defence. 

She allegedly said to him she knew how to ‘use it’ and was willing to go through the court system. 

But Walters told 7News at the time she feared for her safety when she met up with Mr Peeters because she didn’t want to be sexually assaulted again by her husband. 

She has said she will plead not guilty to the charges.  

The separated couple have been in a bitter legal stoush over Setka’s alleged acts of violence and alleged breaches of intervention orders. 

Walters is also suing police over claims officers failed to protect her after she alleged Setka had committed ongoing acts of family violence. 

She alleged in her Supreme Court writ she had four separate intervention orders in place to protect her – claiming she was subject to ‘numerous’ alleged violent incidents involving Setka.

But Setka denies the domestic violence accusations – although he was convicted in 2019 of harassment towards his wife and for breaching orders. 

They got back together after that but have since split up.