A former finalist in the Australian of the Year awards has lashed out on the final day of hearings at the Independent Commission Against Corruption, declaring she has been "abused, bullied and terrorised".
Eman Sharobeem is accused of using more than $600,000 in taxpayer funding that was intended for disadvantaged migrant women, to pay for jewellery, vehicles, holidays, cosmetic procedures and home renovations.
Ms Sharobeem denies the fraud allegations and said any payments to her were made in error.
On the final day of public hearings, counsel assisting the commission, Ramesh Rajalingam, accused Ms Sharobeem of lying about the number of women she helped while running the Immigrant Women's Health Service.
"You intentionally falsified the figures to raise your own profile didn't you?" Mr Rajalingam asked.
"Never," she replied.
Ms Sharobeem, who appeared regularly in the media prior to the corruption investigation, said she had never sought to raise her profile.
She also told the commission she had been a victim of female genital mutilation.
"I was pushed to come out and talk about my childhood and what happened to me as a victim of forced marriage, as a victim of female genital mutilation," she said.
"You can try to accuse me, abuse me, bully me, harass me, terrorise me but you cannot take away the fact that in my life I only raised two sons and worked for women migrants and refugees and helped and saved many, many [lives].
"Do not come now, sir, and try to take that away from me.
"You have no right. You have no right."
Acting ICAC commissioner Reg Blanch will hand down his report later this year.
