No Case For Casey: TWU Official Fails In Attempt To Damage Rivals
Thursday March 13, 2008
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NSW State Secretary Derrick Belan
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A Transport Workers Union (TWU) Official has failed in his attempt to slur the reputations of two officials from the National Union Of Workers (NUW).
Police Prosecutors withdrew charges of assault & intimidation against NUW Officials Mr. Bruno Mendonka & Mr. Charles Morgan at the Fairfield Local Court. Mendonka & Morgan were charged last year following accusation made by Arthur Casey of the TWU.
Arthur Casey had claimed that he had been sworn at and had his foot stomped on by the men.
Witness statements tendered to the Fairfield Local Court completely contradicted Casey’s version of events. The police then decided to withdraw any charges concerning Casey’s claims.
Counsel for the accused said that Arthur Casey constantly “embellished” his story in numerous statements to the police and the court. Mr. Casey was accompanied to the two day court hearing by TWU Assistant State Secretary Wayne Forno.
Derrick Belan, State Secretary of the National Union of Workers said that Arthur Casey and TWU Federal & NSW Secretary Tony Sheldon should apologise to the two accused NUW Officials and their families for the hurt caused by the vexatious claims made against them.
“This
matter was a total mischief from day one. It was a non-sustainable case, a
total waste of taxpayer’s money, all because of the TWU vendetta against
the NUW.
“Arthur Casey’s
maliciousness has caused extensive hurt to Mr. Mendonka and Mr. Morgan and
their respective families. Having their names dragged through the mud out of
pure spite is inexcusable. I would expect an apology from Arthur Casey and his
boss Tony Sheldon as soon as possible” Derrick Belan said.
Mr. Belan said that TWU bosses Tony Sheldon & Wayne Forno should spend less time supporting their officials in making false claims against other union officials and more time working towards better outcomes for their own members.
Derrick Belan also called upon the Australian Labor Party to reinstate the membership of the two accused NUW officials. Both men had their ALP memberships suspended at Kevin Rudd’s insistence last year when Casey’s accusations first became public in the lead-up to the 2007 Federal election.
“It would be fair if Kevin Rudd pushed for the reinstatement of the ALP memberships of the two men as fast as he wanted to take them away last year” Derrick Belan said.
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Last modified 2008-03-13 10:32 PM
