PARRAMATTA directors expect the chief executive, Paul Osborne, to resign this week - possibly as early as today - even though an investigation has cleared him of serious misconduct.
The Herald was told last night that Mr Osborne had agreed to a severance package and would stand down from his position. This was despite a statement released by the board last night following a scheduled meeting that said the inquiry had found there were ''no probity issues arising with respect to staff, sponsorship and player contracts''.
The Herald was told that while the investigation - carried out by the deputy chairman, Sid Kelly, and fellow director Mario Libertini, as well as the club's solicitor, Bryan Belling - could not prove serious misconduct against him, the board have other issues with his administration.
The board has been under pressure to act given the likelihood that the club's major sponsor, Pirtek - whose managing director Glenn Duncan resigned, sparking the inquiry - would withdraw its sponsorship.
The report cleared him of a $35,000 bill on his company credit card, which he has 28 days to pay off as part of his contract. However the statement said: ''The inquiry identified areas in which contract administration can be improved and action in that respect will be undertaken.''
It also said that while a complaint against Mr Osborne by a female staff member was upheld by the board last month, ''it was of insufficient grounds for any further action''.
Mr Kelly told the Herald: ''Paul is still employed by the club and he's still the CEO. I'm sure that he will continue in that role … If I was a betting person, I would say Paul would continue in that role.''
