Operation Pacific: NT ICAC asks public bodies to audit staff for evidence of resume fraud

The ICAC is in the process of asking all NT public bodies – councils, government departments, police, agencies – to audit their staff after uncovering widespread evidence of poor hiring practices and lack of rigour.

The NT ICAC has found myriad evidence of lax hiring practices and a lack of rigour as part of its ongoing investigation Operation Pacific. Picture: File

The Independent Commission Against Corruption is in the process of asking all NT public bodies – councils, government departments, police, agencies – to audit their personnel records after uncovering widespread evidence of poor hiring practices and lack of rigour.

Operation Pacific was launched in May 2023 by Commissioner Michael Riches – now on a leave of absence – after the commission learnt a senior bureaucrat had secured three plum postings by furnishing forged university degrees and professional certifications.

“I am confident that this is not an isolated incident,” he said at the time.

Now, it can be revealed that the operation will be expanded to public bodies including all local governments, Charles Darwin University and the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, after evidence of a dangerously lax system emerged from the initial probe.

NT Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC) Michael Riches. Picture: Office of the ICAC/Supplied

According to an Operation Pacific update tabled quietly in the Legislative Assembly on May 22, and previously unreported, Mr Riches said 11 public bodies had responded to his request that they conduct a records audit to weed out possible resume fraudsters.

They included the departments of Chief Minister and Cabinet; Education, Environments, Parks and Water Security; Treasury and Finance; and Legislative Assembly; as well as Jacana Energy, the NT Ombudsman, Power and Water and Territory Generation.

The results were damning.

A review of 50 hires at one of the public bodies found 83 per cent of successful applicants for roles which “required certain qualifications” did not have their actual qualifications recorded.

NT ICAC Commissioner Michael Riches appearing previously before Estimates. Picture: NT Government/Office of the Speaker.

There were “numerous instances” where qualifications did not appear to have been verified prior to appointment, promotion or transfer of staff, and public service job descriptions sometimes did not list the requirement of an “essential” tertiary qualification.

And on two occasions, copies of qualifications provided had “caused suspicion as to their authenticity”.

Mr Riches said in his report the results were “unsurprising”.

“I anticipate that a number of public bodies that are yet to complete an audit will identify similar issues,” he said.

“While the vast majority of applicants for appointment to public positions will provide accurate and truthful information in their applications, regrettably some will seek appointment through the use of false information, including through assertions of non-existent qualifications and, in some cases, the presentation of falsified documents.”

Acting Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Naomi Loudon. Picture: LinkedIn

Mr Riches said a “number” of the bodies had “initiated self-improvement processes” after the embarrassment of the audit.

Some of the improvements included mandatory verification of relevant qualifications, better record keeping, establishing a new database, and additional criminal checks for some roles.

According to Mr Riches’ report, NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services and the Electoral Commission were yet to respond to requests for an audit of personnel records.

The departments of Attorney-General and Justice; Health; Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics; and Families, Housing and Communities said they would perform an audit at a later date.

The departments of Industry, Tourism and Trade, and Corporate and Digital Development indicated they would not undertake the audit.

On June 25, Acting Commissioner Naomi Loudon wrote to all local governments and higher education institutions asking whether they had, or would, audit personnel records for evidence of poor hiring practices in roles requiring a particular qualification.

She said there was “no obligation” to do so, but requested the chiefs of all the bodies to write to her advising her of their decisions.

Originally published as Operation Pacific: NT ICAC asks public bodies to audit staff for evidence of resume fraud