Former Sydney charity head Eman Sharobeem has blamed ill health, bad accounting and being "underpaid and overworked" for repeated, mistaken requests to be reimbursed for personal expenses.
Ms Sharobeem on Tuesday described allegations she stole charity money as "a knife through my heart" and again insisted she was being framed as a NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry resumed in Sydney.
Egyptian-born Ms Sharobeem, 54, is the former chief executive of the Immigrant Women's Health Service and the Non-English Speaking Housing Women's Scheme.
Once an Australian of the Year state finalist, Ms Sharobeem allegedly rorted more than half a million dollars through reimbursement for transactions that included beauty services, holidays, jewellery and gardening supplies.
"I was underpaid and overworked so if any wrongdoing happened ... it's not because it's my intention, it's because I was overstretched," Ms Sharobeem told the commission.
Counsel assisting Ramesh Rajalingam presented one receipt showing Ms Sharobeem's purchase of a $489 VIP membership to a holiday club, and another showing an identical receipt number used for a reimbursement request to the IWHS days later.
The second document instead listed the purchase as "chairs and desk, including shipping" and Ms Sharobeem admitted a note requesting reimbursement on the bottom looked "very similar" to her own handwriting.
She became flustered and, through tears, suggested the evidence may have been fabricated.
"This is just getting another new level of shocks, sir," she said, hands shaking.
Reimbursement requests for transactions at two jewellers included a $20,000 diamond necklace in 2014 and Acting Commissioner Reginald Blanch QC questioned how someone on an $80,000 wage could afford the large purchases.
"You're not a person who's awash with money, if we put it that way," he said.
Ms Sharobeem said her husband helped pay because it was "culturally appropriate" for a man to do so.
Ms Sharobeem said she may have been mistakenly reimbursed up to $80,000 but claimed she paid back "every cent" at the direction of an auditor.
Mr Blanch questioned why personal and business receipts were mixed up.
"That was bad management, but it wasn't anything else," Ms Sharobeem said.
She claimed to have been "overwhelmed" by her workload, which impacted her physical and psychological wellbeing.
Ms Sharobeem's demeanour shifted noticeably when she was forced to deny using IWHS funds to help pay for her son's engagement ring.
"Please don't damage my children in addition to the damage you've done to me," she said.
"Enough."
The requests for reimbursement also included an $11,000 bill for Lily Room Cosmetics, $15,000 for David Jones, $7400 in services from a hair salon and a $1900 water fountain.
Ms Sharobeem will continue being quizzed when the hearing resumes on Wednesday.
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