Amber Harrison complains to ASX, ASIC over Tim Worner affair

AMBER Harrison isn’t done yet. She has filed two complaints after her former lover Seven CEO Tim Worner was cleared of any misconduct.

Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner: Picture: David Geraghty

SHE’S not done yet. Amber Harrison, the ex-mistress of Seven CEO Tim Worner, has filed complaints with Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), the two bodies have confirmed.

Ms Harrison’s complaints were filed after findings of Seven West Media’s investigation clearing Mr Worner of serious misconduct were made public via a statement to the ASX on Friday morning.

The company told the ASX it was satisfied there were no irregularities in Mr Worner’s credit card use, he had not had inappropriate relationships with other staff members and that it could not substantiate allegations of illicit drug made by his former lover.

There were “no grounds to take any further disciplinary action” and the board was “confident that Mr Worner will continue to run the company in the interests of all shareholders”, the statement said.

Ms Harrison branded the report a “whitewash”, and said she was considering her options, and released a list of questions she believes shareholders should ask her former employer.

Ms Harrison’s complaints to ASIC and the ASX accuse Seven West Media of releasing “a factually incorrect statement to market” (on Friday) and “trading on this incorrect information”.

An ASIC spokesman said the corporate regulator would now make “a general assessment of the facts and determine if there has been a breach of relevant law”.

“Then ASIC can decide whether to go forward to a full investigation. In making that decision we need to assess if an investigation is in the public interest, the regulatory benefit of the action, the availability of evidence and whether such action is a proper use of ASIC resources,” the spokesman said.

An ASX spokesman said “as with all complaints, we will consider it closely, assess if it raises matters within ASX’s authority and respond to the complainant.”

Ms Harrison went public with her 18-month affair with the married Mr Worner last December.

Seven’s summary to the ASX cleared Mr Worner of professional misconduct concerning the payment of a $10,000 bonus to Ms Harrison, alleged relationships with other female staff, allegations of drug use, corporate credit card expenditure and the way Seven dealt with Ms Harrison being managed out of the business after being paid off with $100,000 that was deducted from Mr Worner’s 2014 company bonus.

Ms Harrison says she presented evidence to the investigation to support her allegations, terming the investigation “superficial” and “deliberately limited in scope.

Amber Harrison says Seven West Media’s investigation was a ‘whitewash’. Picture: Supplied