POLICE Minister Kevin Foley has laid his political career on the line, telling Parliament that new claims he had tried to force himself on two young women before he was allegedly assaulted outside a city bar were totally untrue.

Mr Foley said he made the statement because "we all know what the penalty is for misleading Parliament".

Under parliamentary rules, Mr Foley could lose his ministry and possibly his seat if it is proved in court that his statements were not true.

Misleading Parliament is the most serious political offence an MP can be accused of.

"This is about my character and my standing in the community," Mr Foley said yesterday, shortly before entering Parliament.

"I feel it necessary to take a step here today to totally reject the comments given to the courts and to ensure that the public of SA and the nation know I make it very clear these comments are untrue and I look forward with great anticipation to give an account of what happened on the night."

Mr Foley is under pressure from within the Labor Party to, in the words of one source, "pull his head in" and keep a low profile.

Party strategists said yesterday the Government needed clear air to start getting its messages across to the public but "every time we get on the front foot out comes another Foley story".

In Adelaide Magistrates Court yesterday, lawyers for Mr Foley's alleged attacker, Ante Tony Grgich, said Mr Foley had "confronted, accosted and attempted to force himself" on two young women before he was allegedly assaulted outside the Marble Bar in Waymouth St last November.

They will seek to have Mr Foley's credit cards subpoenaed to "better track his alcohol consumption" before the incident and to have Mr Foley's medical history entered into evidence, saying it might have some bearing on his "unusual behaviour" that night.

In other developments yesterday:

PREMIER Mike Rann said he "absolutely" stood by comments he made after the second alleged assault on Mr Foley, when he said the person who assaulted the former deputy premier should be locked up. The charges in that case have since been dropped.

ISSUES surrounding the assault cases involving Mr Foley dominated Question Time in Parliament, with Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond asking if there might have been a conflict of interest with Mr Foley being Police Minister and his involvement in two alleged assault cases. Outside Parliament she said that he should consider standing down from the ministry.

LAWYERS described Mr Foley's decision to make public comments as inappropriate, foolish and outrageous.

Mr Foley told Parliament he had sought legal advice after reading reports of what was said in the court while he could not comment on the detail of what had been said.

"I completely reject the account given to the court on behalf of the accused, Mr Grgich," he said.

"It is totally untrue and I look forward to my day in court when I can tell the real story, the truth about what happened," he said. "On legal advice, it is not appropriate for me to make any further comment."

In a press conference shortly before entering the House of Assembly chamber, Mr Foley said he felt it important he formally make a definitive statement to ensure "my good character is preserved in this".

"The allegations were of concern to me," he said. "I have never felt more confident about a statement in this place. My character has been attacked here and I won't allow this to go unchallenged."

Mr Grgich, 30, of Rosewater, appeared in court yesterday but has yet to plead to one basic count of committing an assault that causes harm.

Lawyer Martin Anders, for Mr Grgich, told court Mr Foley's account of the incident might not match reality.

"Mr Foley's credit and reliability will almost certainly be in issue (at trial)," he said.

"According to independent witnesses, Mr Foley has confronted, accosted and attempted to force himself on two young ladies in the period immediately preceding this alleged offence.

"His statement does not contain that conduct." Mr Anders said the women had yet to provide statements to police.

He told court versions of the notes from the Protective Security Services branch of the Government had been "heavily redacted (edited)".

Last week, charges against another man, who allegedly assaulted Mr Foley in the toilet of a Gouger St lounge bar, were dropped by police through lack of evidence.

The case was adjourned by Magistrate Bill Ackland until a date in June.

Originally published as Kevin Foley's last stand