Recording puts new pressure on Sharks boss Tony Zappia
Peter Kogoy and Ray Gatt |
June 07, 2009
Article from:
The Australian
CRONULLA rugby league club chief executive Tony Zappia was last night fighting to keep his job.
It follows fresh revelations involving a former female employee who suffered facial injuries in an accident with the Sharks boss on August 9 last year.
A secret recording by former employee Jenny Hall in Zappia's office, and obtained by Channel 7, alleges Zappia offered her to spank him and then view pornographic emails.
When the incident was first reported to the National Rugby League it said there was nothing it could do at the time but welcolmed any further information.
Channel 7 said last night it he would forward the report to the NRL.
Zappia later paid Hall $20,000 compensation.
Hall, now interstate and in hiding following the incident last year involving Zappia told Seven Zappia had: cornered her in a hallway, came up close, stood on both her feet, before lashing out.
Zappia later tells Hall he wasn't to blame in the recording.
I am not going to defend it, because you know it was an accident, Zappia is heard saying on the audio tape.
I've apologised. You did bounce off the wall when you went to step back, that's how it happened.
Hall alleges that's not how it happened.
No I didn't hit the wall, Hall tells Zappia.
It was your fist that hit me. It wasn't the wall that did this. It wasn't the wall that did this.
Both then agree the punch was accidental, but it's claimed he walks away saying: it's your word against me.
I was just annoyed about the way you handled it afterwards, Hall is heard saying.
The Cronulla boss responds: yeah, fair enough. Do you want to spank me?
At that point in the conversation, an email pops up on Zappia's computer.
It's pornographic, an in front of Jenny Hall and his personal assistant, Kaleen Morrow.
Zappia is overheard telling Hall and Morrow that the email is: bad .. bad.
In reponse Hall is heard telling Zappia: sending pictures ... porn.
Zappia is then heard laughing out loud.
At the end of the meeting, Hall asks Zappia for three days sick leave.
He responds by declaring not wanting a sick leave form to record the incident and admits he'll later destroy the legal document.
According to the recording the Cronulla boss then threatens to tear the document up on her back to work.
That way it is just between us, OK?
The latest allegations come in a month when the Sharks have been besieged by controversy involving allegations of group sex, long-serving chairman Barry Pierce stepping aside, club captain Paul Gallen being stood down over racial villification allegations and sponsors fleeing.
The club, already reeling from a growing financial black hole, is understood to include a $12 million debt, was further rocked when former Test backrower Reni Maitua failed a drug test.
When contacted last night Zappia described the story as: a set-up, you wouldn't know and how when the quotes (by the woman) were edited.
I strongly deny showing the girls anything that was sent to my computer. It was an email sent by a junior member of staff.
There was no attachment and it showed Lativian women in bikinis.
I challenge anyone to talk to all members of my staff to verify what happened.
