Inquiry witness ‘stabbed himself to support story’, inquiry hears

The trade union royal commission has scrutinised claims a whistleblower lied in evidence about corruption allegations.

The trade union royal commission has scrutinised claims a whistleblower lied when giving evidence about corruption alle­gations against Victorian construction union boss John Setka.

Construction supervisor Gary Cheetham said yesterday Andrew Zaf had invented claims he gave Mr Setka $10,000 worth of roofing materials in the 1990s in return for industrial peace.

Mr Cheetham, who was Mr Zaf’s business partner until the two fell out, also said wounds from an alleged assault were “self-inflicted”. He said Mr Zaf was pursuing a “vendetta” over a past bankruptcy.

“He definitely had a very big chip on his shoulder ... He was pretty fixated on doing what he could to make sure that they — well, he felt they were responsible for him going bankrupt,” Mr Cheetham said yesterday.

Mr Zaf testified in July . Commissioner Dyson Heydon’s interim report made no findings about his claims after a statement from Mr Cheetham in December questioned his credibility.

Mr Cheetham told the hearing Mr Zaf had said he planned to make up a story about being assaulted as retribution for accusing Mr Setka of corruption. “He told me he had to bring more attention to his corruption story ... he sat in his car and stabbed himself and then smeared blood over his ute’s tray to make it look like a scuffle,” Mr Cheetham said.

A police report found “the possibility of self-infliction”.

Mr Cheetham further alleged Mr Zaf sent fake invoices to developer Stocklands and also illegally dumped material containing ­asbestos, Mr Cheetham said.

He said he saw Mr Zaf receive a phone, thought to have been stolen from Mr Setka, which he intended to give to a journalist.

Under questioning yesterday, Mr Zaf admitted sending false invoices to Stocklands but stood by his claims against Mr Setka and denied illegal dumping.

Under cross-examination by CFMEU counsel John Agius, Mr Zaf denied he had a “vendetta” against the CFMEU.

Mr Setka has denied that he had received free roofing.

CFMEU construction secretary Dave Noonan yesterday said the “explosive” claims “went to the heart” of Mr Zaf’s credibility.