"I really am not getting into it. It was inappropriate behaviour," Ms Guthrie told Four Corners. "Inappropriate touching is the best description. I felt icky. It was unprofessional and inappropriate." Mr Milne vehemently denied those allegations. "I never, ever behaved in an inappropriate way with Michelle. I had no reason to whatsoever, and I didn't," he said. Mr Milne said Ms Guthrie had asserted his actions had a "sexual innuendo". Illustration: Matt Golding

"I can't possibly for the life of me understand why she would say that," he said. "I've had no physical relationship with Michelle at all. I never, ever acted inappropriately with Michelle or with any other woman in the workplace or any other woman at all." Ms Guthrie said she did not raise the allegation earlier because she wanted to "get on with the job". She also told the program that the alleged incident did not affect her professional relationship with Mr Milne, but it "was certainly in my mind in social settings". After being informed about Ms Guthrie's allegations by Ms Walford, the ABC board organised for one of their own - Joseph Gersh - to meet Ms Guthrie and determine whether she would make a formal complaint. She declined.

Loading Ms Guthrie told Four Corners the purpose of the meeting was to encourage her to resign, rather than examine her allegation. "He said to me, 'Justin denies it, you should work it out with him'," Ms Guthrie said. "It's absurd." In a statement to Four Corners, the ABC board backed their former chairman's version of events. "Mr Gersh did not go to the meeting to elicit Ms Guthrie's resignation," the board told the program.

"After being advised that the board had lost confidence in her ability to lead the organisation, Ms Guthrie made allegations regarding Mr Milne's conduct toward her. "The board determined that Mr Gersh would meet with Ms Guthrie to give her an opportunity to formalise her allegations and make a complaint, which would be dealt with by the board. "Ms Guthrie declined to formalise her allegations or make a complaint." Former ABC chairman Justin Milne (left) and former ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie during interviews with Four Corners journalist Sarah Ferguson. Credit:AAP Image/ABC, Four Corners Mr Milne told Four Corners that he believed the matter was "settled" once Ms Guthrie opted against lodging a formal complaint against him. Ms Guthrie told the program she did not resile from her claims about Mr Milne's conduct. "It was unacceptable," she said.