Koomarri chief Margaret Spalding launched a defamation claim yesterday in the ACT Supreme Court against 2CC for comments made by presenter Mike Jeffreys on air on May11 and 12, 2006.

The comments followed news that the Narrabundah Long Stay Caravan Park, which was owned and run by Koomarri, had been sold to developer Josep Zivco for more than $2 million, and that Mr Zivco had sent eviction notices to all 200 residents of the caravan park.

On March 7, 2006, Ms Spalding had spoken on Jeffreys' program about the charity's moves to sell the site, saying there was no reason to assume the buyer would evict residents upon settling.

She said her understanding was that the site was being sold under lease purpose clause stating that it must be used as a caravan park, and that the terms of this clause would be difficult to alter.

But on May 9, 2006, solicitors for Mr Zivco's firm Dytin sent out eviction notices to all tenants. Ms Spalding said she was shocked at this development.

Two days later Jeffreys replayed excerpts of the March interview with Ms Spalding, interspersed with assertions that she and Koomarri had set out to deliberately mislead the public. This was played in court yesterday.

''Koomarri have behaved in a cold, callous way to suit their own ends, and of course what makes this so much worse is they're a charity,'' he said. ''A charity who want us to believe they care about the plight of those who are doing it tough for one reason or another. And all the while they're sending out this plausible, well-connected woman to misrepresent the true state of affairs on their behalf.''

Ms Spalding is claiming the remarks were defamatory because they implied she was a liar, was a knowing party in a cold, ruthless plan to throw residents on to the street and had behaved deplorably.

The hearing has been set down for two weeks.