Craig Thomson's lawyers have urged a Victorian magistrate to dismiss some of the charges against the former federal MP over his alleged misuse of union credit cards.
Thomson, 49, is facing 224 dishonesty offences after allegedly using the credit cards to pay for escorts, hotel rooms and cigarettes while he was national secretary of the Health Services Union (HSU) and a Labor MP.
His barrister Greg James QC told the Melbourne Magistrates Court that many of the charges should not have been filed in Victoria as in those cases the alleged offending occurred in NSW and Queensland.
"None of these external matters are matters which attract the jurisdiction of the Victorian courts," Mr James said on Monday.
But prosecutor Lesley Taylor SC said the fact that the HSU was based in Melbourne made the charge applicable to Victoria.
"The intention of Mr Thomson when he hands over that credit card in NSW or Queensland or wherever is that the HSU in Victoria would pick up the tab," she said.
Prosecutors last week added 50 charges against Thomson in an effort to clarify the location of the alleged offending.
Magistrate Charles Rozencwajg adjourned the matter until Tuesday, when a summary hearing is expected to begin.
Thomson lost his NSW Central Coast seat at the September election, standing as an independent but receiving less than four per cent of the primary vote.
Share
