A senior manager at the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) is being investigated for allegedly leaking information to the organisation's opponents in a CCMA hearing.
But a lawyer in the opposing camp says she is a scapegoat in a boardroom battle.
Acting CEO Patience Shikwambana confirmed that president Gideon Sam had informed her that Sascoc's legal team was looking into the allegations against her.
"The president raised the issue with me and there is no truth to this [the allegation that she leaked information]."
Sam insisted no action would be taken until evidence had been obtained and added she was continuing in her position as usual.
"She is not suspended," Sam said. "We have instructed our legal team to prove it. Let's get our facts straight before we do anything."
CCMA HEARING
The allegation relates to information used at the CCMA hearing brought by three dismissed managers - former CEO Tubby Reddy, former CFO Vinesh Maharaj and senior manager Jean Kelly.
Reddy's lawyer, Siven Samuels, denied receiving information from Shikwambana, and added that she was being targeted.
"To us it's clear Ms Shikwambana is being used as a scapegoat for Sascoc's own irregularities. This emerged in the last hearing."
He believed Sascoc wanted her out before she could testify at the CCMA.
Samuels accused Sascoc of covering up claims of sexually inappropriate comments, drunken behaviour and racism made against an employee while he was the chef de mission of the SA team at the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina last year.
The complaint against Clifford Cobers was submitted by chief medical officer Karen Schwabe and, according to Samuels, Sascoc had claimed she had later withdrawn her incident report.
The Sunday Times earlier this year wrote that she had not done so; at the time a Sascoc executive member conceded the use of the word "withdrawn" in a communiqué to the board had been poor.
"Sascoc buried it [the allegations by Schwabe] because they want him [Cobers] to testify for them in the CCMA hearing," said Samuels.
Cobers is said to be a key witness for Sascoc.
Samuels believed the allegations against Cobers were more serious than the sexual harassment claims levelled against Reddy and which contributed to his dismissal.
"Sascoc fired Mr Reddy but they haven't investigated the case against Mr Cobers."
Sam dismissed Samuels' claims. "I don't know where it came from. Go to the board minutes and see. We've got nothing to hide."
The CCMA hearing resumes in July...