Allegations of misconduct by two top Northern Territory police officers, including the now former commissioner, have been referred to the corruption investigator and the solicitor general after NT police decided it would not be appropriate to investigate internally.
Police commissioner John McRoberts resigned last Monday after he was presented with evidence which the government said indicated he involved himself and may have influenced a criminal investigation into a person with whom he has a relationship.
That investigation is understood to have led to the charges of fraud against high profile Darwin travel agent and chair of Crimestoppers NT, Alexandra Kamitsis. McRoberts has denied he had a conflict of interest.
Just one day after McRoberts’ resignation, the acting commissioner Reece Kershaw announced he had suspended head of the crime and specialist support command, Richard Bryson.
Kershaw said he suspended Bryson in order to “enable a thorough investigation” into circumstances leading to McRoberts’ resignation.
Throughout last week, police and government representatives said they could not legally disclose the body investigating the alleged misconduct by McRoberts.
On Tuesday it was revealed the allegations had been handed to the Office of the Commissioner for Public Interest Disclosures, but few details of the investigation were given. The independent commission “investigates information about corruption and improper conduct within Northern Territory public bodies.”
An internal police investigation into the allegations against Bryson has been abandoned, and the matter handed over to the NT solicitor general “to ensure there is openness and the police are kept at arm’s distance,” the minister for police and emergency services, Peter Chandler told media on Tuesday. The solicitor general will also examine:
- Whether anything in the conduct of the suspended senior police officer warrants taking action against that officer other than suspension;
- Whether anything in the conduct of McRoberts before his resignation could constitute a breach of the NT police force code of conduct and ethics or a breach of any criminal offence provision; and
- Whether any of the actions of McRoberts and/or the suspended officer involved any conflict of interest, and if so the nature of such conflict.
The decision to hand over the internal investigation “does and will ensure that the public sees that this investigation is held in the terms that it should be and is investigated thoroughly,” said Chandler.
Acting police commissioner Reece Kershaw said police would cooperate and make available any information the solicitor general sought.
When asked why the decision was made to hand over the matter to the solicitor general almost a week after commencing an internal investigation, Kershaw said he had become aware of “additional information” and the details of the public interest disclosures commission’s investigation.
Chandler said the police and government were “going over new ground here” with such a high level impact on the police force. However he had no concerns there could be more officers involved in the scandal which had rocked the territory force.
The territory’s opposition leader, Delia Lawrie, criticised the Country Liberal party government and said it was “extraordinary” that it took a week for the matter to be referred to the solicitor general.
“That should have happened on day one,” she told media on Tuesday afternoon.
While she welcomed the investigation by the public interest disclosures commission, Lawrie said it was “a little undercooked”, and repeated calls for an independent commission against corruption for the territory.
“Icac-style powers are far greater in terms of the information they can receive, the questioning of witnesses, subpoenaing witnesses,” she said. “It’s been a messy and confusing period, the CLP seem to be scrambling rather the seeking expert advice sooner.”
Lawrie also questioned how much of the matter was known by the chief minister, Adam Giles, who has been on leave since before the allegations were revealed and McRoberts resigned.
“I think there’s a stench around the CLP in terms of this. When did Adam Giles as chief minister and police minister know about this? Did he know about this before he punted the police portfolio to Peter Chandler? You’ve got to question what’s going on.”
