ICAC confirms assistant commissioner overseeing Gladys Berejiklian probe will remain until October

The secretive anti-corruption body ICAC, which is probing former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian, has given a rare hint about its investigation.

The tenure of the official overseeing the corruption probe into former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian has been extended.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) confirmed on Tuesday that Assistant Commissioner Ruth McColl’s term has been extended until the end of October.

Ms McColl was brought in to preside over Operation Keppel, the ICAC probe into Ms Berejiklian’s former secret lover and ex-Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire.

Gladys Berejiklian sat through a series of public hearings in October last year.

That investigation was made public in 2020, but ICAC operatives have been monitoring Mr Maguire since at least 2018.

Ms Berejiklian wasn’t revealed as a target of Operation Keppel until October 2021 when the news she was being investigated prompted her to resign as premier.

The ICAC is known to be secretive about its operations and gave no further information about Ms McColl’s tenure extension other than to say through a spokeswoman: “Assistant Commissioner McColl was appointed to preside over Operation Keppel. Her tenure has been extended until the end of October 2022.”

There have been earlier signs that the investigation is dragging on.

In March, the commission announced “certain parties” had successfully asked for an extension on a deadline to make submissions.

The new deadline was set for May 9.

Ms Berejiklian and Daryl Maguire were a secret couple.

The counsel assisting the commission, Scott Robertson, handed his submissions to the people involved in February.

Mr Maguire’s conduct as an MP was scrutinised during a set of public hearings in October 2020.

When Ms Berejiklian appeared as a witness during those hearings, she revealed the two had been a secret pair for several years.

A year later, when more public hearings were held into her conduct in office, Ms Berejiklian strongly denied any wrongdoing.

The ICAC is examining whether Ms Berejiklian breached the public’s trust in the course of her tryst with Mr Maguire.

Ms Berejiklian is being investigated by ICAC. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The allegations put to her included that Ms Berejiklian failed to report Mr Maguire’s allegedly corrupt behaviour to authorities, that she “encouraged” that behaviour by remaining silent, and that she had a conflict of interest when she used her power as treasurer and premier to deal with money requests by the MP.

The commission was played recorded phone calls between Ms Berejiklian and Mr Maguire where she was heard vowing to “throw money” at his electorate after he retired from politics.

The ICAC also heard from other NSW ministers and staffers in Ms Berejiklian’s office.

ICAC investigations typically take years to complete. It’s unclear when Operation Keppel will hand down its report.

Originally published as ICAC confirms assistant commissioner overseeing Gladys Berejiklian probe will remain until October