CBA exec Rohan Ritchie faces court over assault charge; Nine Entertainment journos to vote on strike

There is a fresh scandal at Australia’s biggest bank.

How simple things would be if interest rates were the only thing taxing Commonwealth Bank boss Matt Comyn’s mind.

But there is a fresh scandal at Australia’s biggest bank – engulfing its Sydney-based senior executive Rohan Ritchie.

The bank’s general manager of everyday accounts and retail FX appeared in the Manly Local Court on Monday following an incident in May last year that saw him charged with one count of intentionally choking a person without consent, two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of common assault. The allegations, which Ritchie strenuously denies, allegedly occurred while he and his wife of 16 years had relatives visiting their home on Sydney’s northern beaches.

Commonwealth Bank general manager Rohan Ritchie.

A statement made by his wife, which has since been retracted, said the banker had assaulted her “multiple times in the past” because of work-related stress.

According to an extract of a report written by a paramedic and read by Ritchie’s lawyer in court as part of an objection to admitting the report as evidence, his wife – whom Margin Call has chosen not to name – told paramedics she had previously been assaulted.

“Patient stated her husband has a temper, and when he drinks alcohol and is stressed at work, he has allegedly physically assaulted patient previously,” barrister Sebastian De Brennan said. “Patient stated her husband has been physically aggressive with her multiple times … and (others) have witnessed some of these previous incidences.”

The court later heard his wife “expressly disavowed” in a statement to police in December that he had ever assaulted her, or had been violent towards her.

De Brennan failed to prevent the paramedic’s report being admitted as evidence.

Police body-worn camera footage showed officers arriving at Ritchie’s home just after midnight on May 14 last year. A police helicopter directed officers to an “intoxicated” Ritchie lying shirtless on an outdoor couch.

Ritchie told officers his wife and her relatives were the aggressive ones, that they pushed him over and “tackled him” and they should have been arrested.

He also told officers they had smashed his phone and he had been locked out of the house.

As police officers read him his rights, he broke down in tears and started wailing: “Are you for real? This is unbelievable.”

After being taken to Manly police station, Ritchie, who had worked at the bank for 12 years, was interviewed by officers who alleged he had put his hands around his wife’s and her cousin’s throat.

The hearing will continue in March next year.

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Well connected

Liberal Party donor Jonathan Munz was the lucky billionaire to be targeted for monies by Victorian opposition leader Matthew Guy’s now former chief of staff Mitch Catlin.

But really, horse racing identity Munz should not think himself so special, being just one of the many squillionaires woven into the spin doctor’s life.

Catlin, a former journalist turned public relations specialist who has worked for brands including Myer and vitamin giant Swisse, this week resigned his position in Guy’s office following revelations of a proposal sent to Munz (and Guy’s private email account) seeking payment of more than $100,000 to Catlin’s private PR business.

Illustration: Rod Clement

The Andrews government has referred the matter to all the authorities it can think of for consideration of whether the contract was a scheme to get around donation laws.

But over his years swanning about social events, Catlin has amassed an impressive network of high net worth powerbrokers – of course Margin Call is not suggesting any proposals akin to that sent to Munz have been sent to anyone else.

Catlin has cited former Swisse vitamins CEO and millionaire investor Radek Sali as an executive who “constantly inspires me”.

Catlin and Sali were colleagues on the 2030 Commonwealth Games taskforce, which was ultimately successful in securing the games for greater Victoria.

On that committee Catlin also served with billionaire heiress Heloise Pratt and scion of Jayco caravan empire Andy Ryan.

Catlin also knows Andy’s Dad Gerry Ryan, who was an investor in Catlin’s Covid-inspired online retail venture Buy Aussie Now, which was launched in 2020 but now appears to be “taking a little break” from operations.

Along with Ryan as an investor in the enterprise was second-generation member of millionaire Melbourne Liberman family dynasty Mark Liberman, along with former Swisse exec turned investor George Livery. Sali was in as a ground floor investor too.

So many friends and influential people.

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Nine strike vote

Reporters at Nine Entertainment mastheads around the country will vote on taking protected industrial action, with the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance mailing out ballots this week as negotiations between the journalists’ union and management drag on.

Questions for reporters at the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the Australian Financial Review, WA Today and Brisbane Times include whether they support “an unlimited number of stoppages of work for periods between 1 hour and up to and including 24 hours duration”. If Nine union members decide to strike it would be the first time since 2017 – when 125 editorial staff were made redundant – that members of the newsroom put down their pens.

Fairfax filled much of its pages with copy from the AAP wire service during that period. Nine in May inked a six-month trial deal to bring back AAP copy after having earlier cancelled its arrangement with the service.

Nine Entertainment chief executive Mike Sneesby. Picture: Britta Campion

Other questions put to Nine journalists include whether they support bans “on attending meetings called by management” and “working before 9am and after 5pm where not rostered”.

Proposals also include a ban “on the use of mobile phones for work purposes” and “on the use of Slack and other messaging platforms for work purposes”.

The MEAA had been seeking a three-year deal, with a pay proposal that would see staff earning less than $186,000 given a 5.5 per cent pay bump this year, followed by 5 per cent and 4.5 per cent over the next two years. Staff earning more than $186,000 would get a 4.5 per cent pay rise this year, followed by 4 per cent over two years.

Nine has looked to soothe tempers by offering all staff a $1750 recognition bonus, in a move the company’s managing director of publishing, James Chessell, told staff was “not tied to the EBA negotiations”.

MEAA members were called to meet on Thursday to discuss the ballots already sent, with members encouraged to sign on the spot. Those who’ve not received their ballots by Friday were being advised to urgently contact the Australian Electoral Commission, which is running the process.