Jeff Kennett defends Seven’s Tim Worner finding

Seven West Media director Jeff Kennett has defended the board’s decision to ‘stand strong’ behind Tim Worner.

Tim Worner and Kerry Stokes before the affair was public. Picture: John Feder

Seven West Media director Jeff Kennett has defended the board’s decision to “stand strong” behind Tim Worner and criticised the chief executive’s former lover over her ­attempts to publicise unproven allegations about other staff members.

Speaking for the first time since news of Mr Worner’s affair with Amber Harrison became public on December 18, Mr Kennett told The Weekend Australian he was “confident” the board’s review ­established ­beyond doubt that a series of ­explosive allegations could not be substantiated.

“We’ve done all we can. I’m ­absolutely convinced on the ­evidence we have investigated,” the former Victorian Liberal premier said last night.

Mr Worner was cleared of wrongdoing after an independent review found no evidence to support Ms Harrison’s claims he had used illicit drugs on company time and took part in unauthorised credit card spending.

After receiving a report by a litigation and investigations partner at Allens Linklaters on Thursday, Seven’s board told the Australian Stock Exchange yesterday there were “no grounds to take any further disciplinary action” against Mr Worner.

Ms Harrison described the review as a “whitewash” and said the investigation was “deliberately limited in scope and designed to achieve the predetermined outcome it has delivered”.

But Mr Kennett said: “The board has spent an inordinate amount of time trying to prove up the allegations made in Ms Harrison’s statement in December, and further comments she has made since. We have had endless meetings and employed independent forensic investigators at great cost to the shareholders, and the board stands strongly behind the statement that we put out to the ASX.”

Mr Kennett, who joined the Seven board as an independent non-executive director after it ­became aware of the consensual sexual relationship, added: “In the absence of being able to substantiate her claims, I am profoundly disappointed that she has in the past and continues to defame some of Channel Seven’s employees. That to me is without doubt the saddest outcome of this whole process. While we don’t condone what Mr Worner did, this piece has been about trying to prove or disapprove the allegations.”

The review’s terms of reference included an interview with Ms Harrison and current and former Seven staff members, all of whom made “strong and ­vehement denials” about having an inappropriate relationship with Mr Worner.

The testimony of the witnesses “cast doubt on the veracity of other accusations”, Seven said.

The company’s identification of significant credit card misuse by Ms Harrison was not instigated by, or on behalf of, Mr Worner or his office, the review found.

Investigators found that Mr Worner “did not influence, nor play any role”, in the awarding of a bonus to Ms Harrison.

Company funds had not been used in furthering the relationship between Mr Worner and Ms Harrison, and there were “no ­irregularities in Mr Worner’s corporate credit card use”. Seven added: “This has been a tumultuous time for the entire company and with the receipt of the independent review this matter can now be brought to a conclusion.”

Mr Worner was disciplined by chairman Kerry Stokes over the ­relationship that happened several years ago before he became chief executive.