CBH will hold a Special General Meeting on Friday, May 15 where growers will be asked to decide the future of director Trevor Badger, on the back of allegations that Mr Badger has breach confidentiality.
Mr Badger has penned an open letter to CBH, which reads as follows:
The members of CBH will by now be well aware of the actions that some on the board are taking against me.
It is alleged that I have breached confidentiality in regard to inappropriate behaviour to women by the previous chairman.
I totally deny and reject these claims made against me and I am defending my personal and professional reputation.
I have been a hardworking and diligent director of CBH for 14 years and many times, I have been part of a voice in the boardroom that some others find unpalatable.
It is my and other directors' duties to conduct due diligence and to ensure the business is efficiently run.
At times, consideration in the boardroom can be tense and some components of the board struggle with this process.
The democratic process should prevail and at no stage should it turn into a club or clique.
I have outlined my position very clearly in an eight-page letter which all members will receive by post but will briefly cover the action against me now.
CBH investigated some long-running claims of inappropriate behaviour against the previous chairman and found that he had committed the acts.
Under the CBH 'Zero Tolerance Policy', they chose to keep these claims and the consequences confidential from the members.
I have not spoken of these claims.
Upon the disclosure of the above to the media by an ex-director, growers and individuals discovered that other claims they had made, had not been investigated.
These growers and individuals contacted me, and I entered into discussion regarding these claims and advised them to go to CBH or use the CBH Whistleblower hotline.
This is not confidential.
CBH is claiming that because they have dealt with some claims, then any other claims can't be dealt with as they are also confidential.
I call this as protectionism of the accuser and disregard for the alleged victims of the highest degree.
Ultimately the accusation arises from one phone call, received from one individual.
One individual's word against mine - this is the basis of the claim.
I have outlined this clearly in my letter to growers.
When the board chose to investigate me, I had four minutes and 44 seconds to defend myself in front of the full board (on teleconference) before the chairman promptly closed the meeting and disconnected my line, preventing any director asking questions.
Not one director had the opportunity to ask a question.
Is this proper process?
The recent resignations from highly-respected and high-performing directors from the board should also raise queries as to why such talented individuals can't bear to be a part of this current board and company culture. Additionally, members should ask "why the hasty unexplained exit of the previously fully committed ex-chairman"?
I ask members to read my eight-page letter before considering my role as a director of CBH.
