Michael Murphy ousted as Police Commissioner after ICAC Operation Apollo ‘job for a mate’ finding
The NT’s top cop has been given his marching orders, 48-hours after admitting he was the unnamed bureaucrat at the centre of a ‘job for a mate’ scandal in an anonymised ICAC report.
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The NT’s top cop has been given his marching orders, 48-hours after admitting he was the unnamed bureaucrat at the centre of a ‘job for a mate’ scandal in an anonymised ICAC report.
Late on Saturday evening, Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro issued a statement confirming Police Commissioner Michael Murphy’s time at the top was over.
His ousting comes eight days after the issuing of the damning and anonymised Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC) Operation Apollo report – which triggered intense speculation, as CLP ministers questioned on the topic pleaded the fifth.
“It is clear the Police Commissioner Michael Murphy APM’s position is untenable,” Mrs Finocchiaro in the statement on Saturday said.
“Today, I informed Commissioner Murphy he has lost the confidence of the Government. I gave Commissioner Murphy the opportunity to resign.
“The Police Commissioner was asked to go on leave effective immediately. Martin Dole APM is now the Acting Police Commissioner.”
Mrs Finocchiaro said she had now begun the process of terminating the appointment of Mr Murphy as Police Commissioner.
“This process requires natural justice to Michael Murphy, and involves Cabinet, Executive Council and advice to the Administrator on termination.
“Reducing crime is our top priority and today’s action provides certainty for our hard working Police and the community.
“I make no apologies for working through this methodically in the interests of Territorians.”
Mr Murphy on Thursday in a written statement admitted he was the senior executive public officer in the report who had engaged in “improper conduct” in the recruitment process, in which a close friend of his was hired into a senior position in the department.
The NT News has been advised not to name the friend so as not to breach s 146A of the ICAC Act.
Mr Murphy’s fate was sealed when on Thursday night the entire executive board of the Northern Territory Police Association called for his resignation.
The CLP on Friday went into lockdown mode – with the Chief Minister pulling out from an event attended by journalists in order to see to what subbed-in Minister Robyn Cahill called “urgent government business”.
Other CLP ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Gerard Maley were in Alice Springs and not speaking to media.
But that evening, Mrs Finocchiaro was present at and gave a speech at the graduation ceremony of 27 new NT Police constables – an event that no journalists attended.
The ceremony was livestreamed on the NT Police Facebook page.
At 6pm her office released a statement addressing the graduation, but no word was mentioned on the earlier “urgent” business.
Mrs Finocchiaro in her speech to the graduates lauded the NT Police force as the “greatest” in the country.
“Regardless of where your journey takes you, I have no doubt you will serve with integrity, professionalism and a deep commitment to keeping our community safe,” she said.
Mrs Finocchiaro said each constable represented “the very best of what it means to be a part of the NT Police force”.
“These are the values that define the Northern Territory police force and they are the values you will carry forward.”
On Saturday morning, Mrs Finocchiaro was asked whether she still held confidence in Mr Murphy.
A spokeswoman for Mrs Finocchiaro did not answer the question, and did comment as to whether the Chief had made a purposeful attempt to avoid media by cancelling her luncheon attendance.
Apart from one statement on Thursday before Mr Murphy’s admission, in which Mrs Finocchiaro said she shared “the same frustrations as the community” on the situation, she had made no comment on the scandal until Saturday evening’s statement.
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