The chair of the Aboriginal legal aid service for the Northern Territory has taken the stand on day four of a bitter civil trial. Former NAAJA chief executive Priscilla Atkins is seeking damages and to be reinstated to the job she was sacked from earlier in the year. Her lawyers are accusing the chair of using an audit report to fire her.
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00:00 The territory's Aboriginal Legal Aid Service at war with itself.
00:07 Four days into a civil trial in the federal court in Darwin, and the North Australian
00:12 Aboriginal Justice Agency's chair was today called to the dock.
00:16 Colleen Rosas is chair of the board who sacked long-time CEO Priscilla Atkins earlier this
00:22 year.
00:24 Before she was sacked, she was stood down while being investigated over whether or not
00:28 her contract had been legitimately signed by Ms Rosas.
00:33 Ms Rosas maintains she never signed the contract, while being grilled about what evidence there
00:39 was to prove the signature was forged.
00:42 Would it be fair to say Ms Rosas that as at the 10th of December, the contract extension
00:47 issue rose no higher than an allegation by you?
00:51 Yes, at the 10th of December, that was the only thing.
00:56 Also in focus in court today was an audit report from binder Dyker Otter.
01:00 Ms Atkins' lawyers argue it was used to damage her standing within the organisation, while
01:05 protecting the Chief Financial Officer, Mardor Evans, whom Ms Atkins accused of corruption
01:11 and bullying.
01:13 The BDO report was prepared to damage Ms Atkins before the board.
01:17 No, I don't agree with that.
01:20 Ms Evans is scheduled to give evidence next week before Judge Natalie Charlesworth.
01:25 [BLANK_AUDIO]