The ABC’s former chair Ita Buttrose has written to ABC lawyers disputing the key evidence provided by managing director David Anderson in the ongoing unlawful termination case brought against the public broadcaster by Antoinette Lattouf.
In a legal letter sent to Seyfarth Shaw, the firm acting for the ABC in its defence against Lattouf, Buttrose disputes Anderson’s version of two key conversations that he provided during this month’s Federal Court proceedings.
The first allegation refers to the conversation Anderson had with Buttrose on the day Lattouf was sacked, before the pair went to their end-of-year lunch.
Then-ABC chair Ita Buttrose with managing director David Anderson in 2020.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
The second allegation is about Anderson providing evidence about a conversation he had with the ABC’s former content chief, Chris Oliver-Taylor, on the way back from the end-of-year lunch, with Buttrose in the car.
Buttrose alleged in the letter that the evidence provided by the ABC’s managing director was inconsistent with her recollection of the said events.
Ita Buttrose leaves court after giving evidence in the Lattouf case on February 11.Credit: James Brickwood
In the letter, Buttrose also said she had an invoice from the car hire company to prove she had been picked up from her house in Redfern, which contradicts the evidence given by Anderson.
The invoice from Corporate Cars Australia, according to Buttrose, proves she was picked up from her house, and therefore could not have spoken with Anderson at the ABC’s offices before their lunch.
She said the invoice must be provided to Lattouf “in the interests of transparency and our legal obligations to do so”.
This masthead does not suggest that Anderson’s evidence in the court case was anything other than his honest recollection of events.
Lattouf’s unlawful termination case against the ABC will resume later this week, with both parties scheduled to deliver their closing arguments in court.
Buttrose declined to comment on the letter when approached by this masthead.
An ABC spokesman said the matter was before the court and it would be inappropriate for the ABC to comment while proceedings were under way.
The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.
免責聲明:投資有風險,本文並非投資建議,以上內容不應被視為任何金融產品的購買或出售要約、建議或邀請,作者或其他用戶的任何相關討論、評論或帖子也不應被視為此類內容。本文僅供一般參考,不考慮您的個人投資目標、財務狀況或需求。TTM對信息的準確性和完整性不承擔任何責任或保證,投資者應自行研究並在投資前尋求專業建議。