Former NSW charity head Eman Sharobeem has credited herself for saving an immigrant women's organisation from closure as she continues to rebuff allegations she rorted more than half a million dollars in public money.
The 54-year-old on Wednesday complained her examination at an Independent Commission Against Corruption probe was inhumane, and accused counsel assisting Ramesh Rajalingam of abusing her with repeated questioning.
"This commission is against all forms of human rights, isn't it?" Ms Sharobeem fired back from the witness box in Sydney.
The former Australian of the Year state finalist is accused of dishonestly claiming over $600,000 while chief executive of the Immigrant Women's Health Service and the Non-English Speaking Housing Women's Scheme.
Mr Rajalingam told the commission the total amount Ms Sharobeem received from the IWHS - including her salary, allegedly dishonest reimbursements and "facilitator" fees for both herself and her son - was about $1.1 million over eight years.
Ms Sharobeem protested the public airing of the enormous figure.
She said the commission was trying to "frame her as a criminal" and claimed to have earned the charity up to $6 million before leaving it in a "healthy state" with about $400,000 in its account.
"I saved the organisation from being closed down and being sold to private entity," she said.
Mentions of Ms Sharobeem's two adult children have drawn the most emotional responses during her seven days of intense questioning.
She burst into tears on Wednesday after being repeatedly quizzed about why her sons were paid "facilitator" fees and why those and other payments were made under aliases.
Richard and Charlie Sharobeem received $34,050 and $7750 respectively, according to evidence before the commission.
Ms Sharobeem admitted to making "a mistake" due to her "deteriorated mental state" - a result of being overworked - when incorrectly referencing at least one alias in a document shown to the hearing.
"If you want to criminalise me for my mistake, you can," she said.
But it was also a mistake, by a former colleague or colleagues, for three of her personal water bills - each about $190 - to be paid for using the IWHS credit card in 2009, Ms Sharobeem said.
It was "maybe a mistake" for her sons to be paid facilitator fees $10 higher than other staff members, she said.
A further mistake was made when Ms Sharobeem neglected to mention anywhere on a flyer for an IWHS jewellery course that the program was funded by a Smith Family grant.
The hearing continues on Thursday.
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