Key concessions in ICAC's 'inquisition' of Pink Ladies founding member

Gail Connolly faced the longest cross-examination in the ICAC inquiry into alleged misconduct. (ABC News: Simon Amery)

After initially denying any wrongdoing, former Parramatta council CEO Gail Connolly has ended up making three key concessions to the corruption watchdog over days of questioning.

Ms Connolly was questioned the longest out of all 17 witnesses summonsed by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) over a six-week period to investigate the alleged corruption at City of Parramatta Council.

She described the public hearings into her alleged corruption as "the Spanish Inquisition."

Her testimony was central to uncovering the depth and breadth of personal connections she shared with a network of women calling themselves the "Pink Ladies" or "Pink Ops".

Angela Jones-Blayney (left), Gail Connolly (middle) and Roxanne Thornton (right) were part of a network of women calling themselves the "Pink Ladies". (Supplied: NSW ICAC)

Her closest allies included senior executives Roxanne Thornton and Angela Jones-Blayney.

All three women are accused of corruption by subverting recruitment at the council to favour friends, and in one case, a family member.

Ms Connolly was questioned over seven days of evidence and denied most allegations put to her.

It was alleged Ms Connolly interfered in hiring processes to help her friends and fellow "Pink Ladies" secure jobs, orchestrated secret deals worth $1.3 million of taxpayer money to remove staff she wanted gone, and spied on employees' emails and an elected councillor.

ICAC is probing whether hiring processes were interfered with to help friends and fellow "Pink Ladies" secure jobs. (Supplied: NSW ICAC)

Evidence showed Ms Jones-Blayney received interview questions in advance that were sent by Ms Connolly to the Office of the Lord Mayor and CEO group manager Ms Thornton, who then forwarded them to city engagement and experience executive director Ms Jones-Blayney.

Ms Connolly, who sat on the interview panel, told the commission on Tuesday she understood the questions were being distributed to all candidates.

After being pressed by counsel assisting Joanna Davidson SC she accepted "the interview process was fundamentally undermined by the provision of that material by a panel member to one interviewee".

Roxanne Thornton and Gail Connolly (right), who have both worked for the City of Parramatta, are being investigated by the ICAC. (Supplied: NSW ICAC)

Ms Connolly was also questioned about the hiring of her niece, Leah Senkowski, who worked at paint-and-sip company Pinot and Picasso before be