_G-Dog_
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UNDER-fire Sharks CEO Tony Zappia has broken his silence to declare he will refuse to resign over the Jenny Hall tape furore.
"I have no intention of going anywhere,'' he told The Daily Telegraph on the eve of tonight's red-letter Cronulla board meeting that will decide his future. "All I want is a fair and open process.''
Zappia will tonight ask Cronulla directors to approach police about secretly taped conversations that have left his career on the ropes.
Four days after he stood down to seek legal advice, Zappia is preparing to fight for his job as he defends fresh workplace misconduct allegations from ex-staffer Jenny Hall.
The 25-year-old has alleged Zappia offered to let her spank him during a conversation she recorded without her then-boss's permission, and in possible contravention of the NSW Surveillance Devices Act (2007). The offence carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.
Cronulla is under immense pressure to sack Zappia, who has also been accused of showing Hall lewd emails on his work computer. NRL boss David Gallop has publicly slammed his actions and received Hall's secret recordings on Tuesday night.
Zappia's solicitor Grant Bonner yesterday retaliated with a legal request for Gallop to refrain from commenting further. Either way, Cronulla's nine-man board wants to end the drama as soon as possible. The board this week ordered an investigation into Hall's latest claims and staff have been questioned.
But a swift verdict was made more unlikely last night when the board and Zappia were denied access to Hall's unedited tapes.
As well as questioning the legality of Hall's recordings, the Sharks board is also wary about whether they have been edited for broadcast. Without access to the tapes, Zappia's lawyers can argue he has been denied a proper defence.
A Sharks insider said attempts to listen to the tapes had been met with a demand from Channel 7 - which broadcast them - to release Hall's confidential deed of settlement. "We refused to do that, so we haven't been able to listen to the tapes in full,'' the insider said.
Zappia believes that by taking the matter to the police, the tapes will then be properly and independently analysed. Should police become involved, it is unlikely that Zappia could be removed while their investigation is underway.
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Good on him. A proper investigation should occur before any decision is made.
Gallop should keep his mouth shut, until the situation is fully investigated.
Its unfair that decisions can be made & punishments handed down, purely based on accusations & allegations.
It happened with us & Coffs - because of a females allegations, even though no charges were laid
Happened with Matt Johns - even though No charges laid, purely allegations
Zappia - Allegations at the moment
Allegations alone should not be enough
"I have no intention of going anywhere,'' he told The Daily Telegraph on the eve of tonight's red-letter Cronulla board meeting that will decide his future. "All I want is a fair and open process.''
Zappia will tonight ask Cronulla directors to approach police about secretly taped conversations that have left his career on the ropes.
Four days after he stood down to seek legal advice, Zappia is preparing to fight for his job as he defends fresh workplace misconduct allegations from ex-staffer Jenny Hall.
The 25-year-old has alleged Zappia offered to let her spank him during a conversation she recorded without her then-boss's permission, and in possible contravention of the NSW Surveillance Devices Act (2007). The offence carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.
Cronulla is under immense pressure to sack Zappia, who has also been accused of showing Hall lewd emails on his work computer. NRL boss David Gallop has publicly slammed his actions and received Hall's secret recordings on Tuesday night.
Zappia's solicitor Grant Bonner yesterday retaliated with a legal request for Gallop to refrain from commenting further. Either way, Cronulla's nine-man board wants to end the drama as soon as possible. The board this week ordered an investigation into Hall's latest claims and staff have been questioned.
But a swift verdict was made more unlikely last night when the board and Zappia were denied access to Hall's unedited tapes.
As well as questioning the legality of Hall's recordings, the Sharks board is also wary about whether they have been edited for broadcast. Without access to the tapes, Zappia's lawyers can argue he has been denied a proper defence.
A Sharks insider said attempts to listen to the tapes had been met with a demand from Channel 7 - which broadcast them - to release Hall's confidential deed of settlement. "We refused to do that, so we haven't been able to listen to the tapes in full,'' the insider said.
Zappia believes that by taking the matter to the police, the tapes will then be properly and independently analysed. Should police become involved, it is unlikely that Zappia could be removed while their investigation is underway.
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Good on him. A proper investigation should occur before any decision is made.
Gallop should keep his mouth shut, until the situation is fully investigated.
Its unfair that decisions can be made & punishments handed down, purely based on accusations & allegations.
It happened with us & Coffs - because of a females allegations, even though no charges were laid
Happened with Matt Johns - even though No charges laid, purely allegations
Zappia - Allegations at the moment
Allegations alone should not be enough
