ICAC warns against ‘political points scoring’ following Lambley claims

The Territory’s corruption watchdog has warned politicians against using his office for ‘political points scoring’ following sensational allegations levelled against outgoing Chief Minister Michael Gunner.

THE Territory’s corruption watchdog has warned politicians against using his office for “political points scoring” following sensational allegations levelled against outgoing Chief Minister Michael Gunner.

On Tuesday, Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley claimed Independent Commissioner Against Corruption, Michael Riches, had told her he was investigating Mr Gunner’s travel expenses.

The claim came after Mr Gunner’s shock resignation from the top job, with Ms Lambley doubling down on her comments on Wednesday, saying she doesn’t “believe in coincidences”.

In response, Mr Riches said while he would not comment directly on Ms Lambley’s claims, “in general terms, I take the view that the use of my office for political points scoring ought to be dissuaded”.

“I will not allow the unilateral actions of others to change my approach to my work,” he said.

“It is a matter for Ms Lambley to explain why she has decided to make the statements she has made, and their timing.”

Under section 147 of the ICAC Act, Mr Riches has the power to order an individual not to disclose “that an investigation is being or has been conducted”, with anyone who breaches the order liable to imprisonment for up to two years.

But in response to questions about whether Ms Lambley’s comments breached any such order or whether one was issued, Mr Riches said he would not comment “on this matter directly”.

Michael Riches.

“I will say that I do not regularly issue notices under s147 to individuals who have made reports to my office — I have not previously thought it necessary to do so,” he said.

“In my experience, I have found that persons who report matters to me understand the importance of preventing potential prejudice to an investigation by avoiding the premature disclosure of its existence.”

Mr Riches said he would “consider whether to make further comment at a later point in time”.

On Tuesday Ms Lambley told reporters she had referred approximately $40,000 of Mr Gunner’s travel expenses to Mr Riches’ office in January.

“Last week, I contacted the ICAC Commissioner Michael Riches, I emailed him, and I asked him a simple question: ‘Is this matter being investigated?’” she said.

“Mr Riches came back to me with an email saying ‘yes’.”

Mr Gunner denied he had been told by the ICAC that he was under investigation.

In response to Mr Riches’ comments, Ms Lambley said she rejected any suggestion her claims were “political points scoring” but was “regretful” if she had put him in “any sort of difficult position”.

“He is there to do a job and I don’t want to influence his work at all,” she said.

“I ensured that revealing that piece of information was not in breach of anything and I said to him ‘I need to disclose this to the public because I think it’s a matter of public importance’ and he made no comment to that.

“He said it would be useful for him to have a bit more time to collect information regarding the case before it became public and I agreed to that.”

Ms Lambley said she “didn’t have any inkling” Mr Gunner was about to announce his retirement when she made the decision to go public.

Gunner under investigation by ICAC: Lambley

INDEPENDENT MLA Robyn Lambley has claimed she doesn’t “believe in coincidences” over the Chief Minister’s decision to resign, after being told he was being investigated over travel expenses.

Ms Lambley has claimed she was told by Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Michael Riches that the Chief Minister was under investigation over travel expenses last week.

Ms Lambley said at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that Michael Gunner was allegedly being investigated over expenses he charged to the taxpayer in the lead up to the 2020 Territory election.

“I made a referral to the (ICAC) in the Northern Territory last January,” Ms Lambley said.

“Last week, I contacted the ICAC Commissioner Michael Riches, I emailed him, and I asked him a simple question: is this matter being investigated? Mr Riches came back to me with an email saying yes.”

The query related to approximately $40,000 in travel expenses over 11 trips to remote parts of the Northern Territory, Ms Lambley said.

Outgoing Chief Minister Michael Gunner with Independent MLA Robyn Lambley. Picture: File

She said she didn’t believe in coincidences but conceded it was possible that Mr Gunner had resigned on Tuesday, without knowing he was potentially under investigation.

Earlier on Tuesday at his resignation press conference, Mr Gunner denied he had been told by ICAC that he was under investigation.

In response to questions by Sky News, Mr Riches said he would not comment on the matter.

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