Threat of charges for Qld MP's ex-staffers FORMER Newman government staffers could be referred to the Director of Public Prosecution for criminal charges if phone records reveal they lied over the resignation of a terminally-ill adviser. Ex-Arts Minister Ros Bates' former policy adviser and fill-in senior media adviser Peter Epstein is seeking damages for psychological trauma he claims he suffered while working in her office. Queensland Industrial Relations Commission deputy president Adrian Bloomfield is concerned witnesses in the case have given conflicting evidence over telephone calls involving Epstein resignation. On Friday he adjourned the matter until phone records could be produced. "If people have been telling untruths, it is not just a situation where it is a misinterpretation of facts, it is a clear and deliberate untruth consistently put," he said. They will be referred to the DPP, I make no bones about that. I have no view as to who is telling the truth. The case has given insight to the inner-workings of Ms Bates' office before she quit her post last year amid poor health and a nepotism scandal. Mr Epstein claims requests for help with his overwhelming workload were ignored, even though he was suffered non-Hodgkin lymphoma and had been given two years to live. His barrister Susan Anderson told the Commission that in a phone call between Mr Epstein and Ms Bates one Saturday in July last year, she agreed he would leave her employment at some time in the future and she would help him find another job. However, it's alleged former chief of staff Digby McLeay then rang Mr Epstein and ask for his resignation by Monday. Mr Digby denies the phone call happened and denies threatening Mr Epstein in his office on Monday and telling him to stand down immediately. "I suggest you said the minister wants your resignation now, and as sure as night follows day you'd make up something to blacken Mr Epstein's name," Ms Anderson said. You said it wasn't fair but that's the way it was. Ms Bates' driver Ross Kouimanis gave evidence that Mr Epstein had voluntarily resigned on Sunday morning, while on speaker phone in the car. "Ms Bates said please put it in writing and give it to Digby in the morning," he told the Commission. The matter was adjourned until late November.