6PR Breakfast host Gareth Parker has debunked comments made by the first witness at the Perth Casino Royal Commission yesterday.

Director general of the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, Duncan Ord, told the inquiry WA’s chief casino officer stood aside because he was “distressed” following media reports of his personal relationship with Crown workers.

Those reports, which revealed Michael Connolly had maintained close relationships with Crown legal and compliance staff including regular social fishing trips, were first detailed by 6PR Breakfast and WA Today in February.

But Gareth Parker today scotched the notion that Mr Connolly stood aside after the reports were released.

He said the actual timeline of events was very different to what was portrayed by Mr Ord.

“The idea that it was Mr Connolly responding to these media reports that were just out there, and being unable to go onto his job because of the scrutiny, is not actually what happened, those are not the facts, that is not the sequence of events,” he said.

“So spare me the idea that Mr Connolly was the victim of some media campaign.”

Press PLAY to hear Gareth Parker’s timeline of events

(Photo: James D. Morgan/ Getty Images.)