Australia Post chair Lucio Di Bartolomeo gave evidence at Senate estimates on Monday night.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
He also stood by his claim that former Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate had agreed to stand aside after the federal government launched an investigation into the watch purchases,which cost $19,950.
Ms Holgate resigned as chief executive of the postal service last week,buther lawyers have maintained that she was never formally notified of the board's decision to stand her down and that there were no legal grounds for doing so.
She has also claimed the gifts had been purchased in 2018 with the approval of then-chair John Stanhope.
Mr di Bartolomeo said he had spoken with Ms Holgate on the afternoon of October 22 following her evidence to a Senate committee earlier that day that her office had purchased the watches as gifts for four employees for landing a major deal with Australian banks.
"We had a number of conversations that afternoon and the concluding position was that she would stand aside,"Mr di Bartolomeo said.
Christine Holgate giving evidence at Senate estimates last month,when she revealed her office had purchased Cartier watches for four employees.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen