MP Craig Kelly‘s adviser Frank Zumbo cross examined in sexual touching hearing

A staffer of former federal MP Craig Kelly told a court one of the office workers threatened to “make up” allegations in order for him to keep mentoring her.

Frank Zumbo has denied sexually touching allegations. Picture: Newswire / Brendan Read

A former political staff to ex-MP Craig Kelly was fearful one of the women who he employed in the office would make “false allegations” against him but did not terminate her employment, a court has heard.

Francesco ‘Frank’ Zumbo, 56, has pleaded not guilty to 20 charges of sexual touching and indecent assault after five women made allegations of misconduct while they worked in the office of Mr Kelly between 2014 and 2020.

Zumbo denies all allegations and claims no sexual conduct occurred.

Zumbo, who was employed as the office manager, was cross examined on Monday as his lengthy hearing, which began in June last year, continued in Downing Centre Local Court.

Crown prosecutor Shaun Crona asked Zumbo about the allegations levelled against him by one woman, who Zumbo initially described as “very mature” when he first met her, promising to assist her with work saying one day she could become “Prime Minister”.

Frank Zumbo during his hearing at Downing Centre.

The court heard recordings where Zumbo told the woman he “loved” her and was ”attracted to her” with Zumbo clarifying in evidence that he meant ”platonic love” and was attracted to her as a ”political prospect”.

Zumbo said he was never interested in the woman, or the other women in the office, sexually despite telling her “yes, I am falling in love with you, I‘m falling love with all your values”.

Zumbo denied he would squeeze her breasts or put his hand under her clothing to touch her breasts.

“I never caressed her breasts,” Zumbo said.

He went on to deny he touched her at any time on the vagina over her underwear.

The court heard the woman and Zumbo had a conversation about the woman “shirking” her work responsibilities and other mentoring.

Frank Zumbo pictured in February. Picture: Brendan Read

The court heard Zumbo asked the woman in the recordings if she would “dump me in it”.

He said in evidence that she once told him she would “make things up” if she had to in order for him to keep helping her.

“Until then she was glowing but when someone makes a threat it changes in an instant,” Zumbo said, before adding the woman never ”crystallised” the threat.

Magistrate Gareth Christofi asked Zumbo if he had terminated her employment and he said “no” claiming it would be ”my words against hers”.

Zumbo also denied he rubbed the woman‘s thigh for more than 10 seconds when they were in the car on one occasion.

Meanwhile, Mr Crona referred to a recording one of the other women made of a conversation she had with Zumbo after he gave her a birthday present.

The court heard Zumbo repeatedly asked the woman why she would not give him a hug and kiss after receiving the gift.

The woman initially said “no” to giving him a hug and Zumbo claimed he spoke to her for 30 minutes to try to “understand why”.

He said he then asked her again to give him a kiss to “save face” in an awkward situation.

The court heard Zumbo asked the woman if she thought it was “creepy” that he was ”nice to her” or if he ”touched her leg”, to which she responded ”no” before he asked if there was a ”willingness to have physical relationship in the future”

“You were raising the idea of a physical relationship in the future because you had sexual interest in her?” Mr Crona asked.

“No, I didn’t have sexual interest in her,” Zumbo replied.

The former staffer said he was trying to ascertain the “boundaries” with the woman and went on to say he was ”fumbling around” with his words because she remained silent for long periods, adding he would not have had a sexual relationship with her.

Mr Crona went on to ask Zumbo why he said in evidence if he took the woman‘s silence as “playing hard to get” to which he said he didn’t know what her silence meant.

Zumbo also denied the allegations that he unzipped his pants and exposed his penis to one of the women while they were sitting on a bench one night.

He also said he did not try to kiss the woman, noting both times he did not like cigarette smoke and therefore did not go close to her face.

The hearing continues on Tuesday.