Conflicting accounts have emerged of an extraordinary general meeting of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra board at which an Al Jazeera investigation into chairman David Li was discussed, highlighting divisions within the organisation.

Some people familiar with the May meeting, called by deputy chair Di Jameson and then-managing director Sophie Galaise, claim a vote was taken, and defeated, for Mr Li to step down over reputational risk around his alleged links to the Chinese Communist Party’s influence-peddling United Work Front Department, which Al Jazeera was pursuing, and which he denies.