Former South Australian Liberal leader Isobel Redmond has apologised for her parliamentary attack on the state’s electoral commissioner.

Redmond twice used parliamentary privilege to accuse commissioner Kay Mousley of being “utterly corrupt”, sparking accusations that Redmond had misled Parliament and abused privilege.

However, after question time yesterday she made a brief statement to state Parliament to withdraw the claims.

“I unconditionally withdraw the words ‘utterly corrupt’ and apologise for any offence they may have caused,” she said.

In parliament on Tuesday, Redmond had renewed her attack on Mousley after describing her as “utterly corrupt” in parliament on May 20.

She told the House she did not resile from the description, saying “it is utterly the term I think fits the commissioner”.

Redmond claimed the commissioner had shown bias in favour of Labor over a period of time.

Attorney-General John Rau had asked the speaker Michael Atkinson to rule on whether Ms Redmond had breached parliamentary privilege on May 20.

“I believe a member of this chamber has knowingly and deliberately misled this House,” he said in parliament on Tuesday.

– with AAP