NT ICAC Investigations Director Kate Kelly resigns, citing personal reasons

A senior director from the NT’s anti-corruption watchdog, who was at the centre of a conflict-of-interest investigation, has resigned.

A SENIOR director from the NT’s anti-corruption watchdog who was at the centre of a conflict-of-interest investigation has resigned, citing personal reasons.

Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Michael Riches confirmed the office’s Investigations Director, Kate Kelly, resigned earlier this month.

“Ms Kelly is relocating interstate for personal reasons,” he said.

“Over the past six weeks I have been impressed with her professionalism, skill and commitment.

“I am sorry to see her leave.”

Ms Kelly’s resignation came less than two months after ICAC Inspector Bruce McClintock SC dismissed a complaint regarding the handling of a conflict-of-interest involving Ms Kelly and her defacto partner David McGinlay.

Mr McGinlay’s company – GAT Risk Management – had been awarded lucrative contracts to conduct investigations for the Office of the ICAC.

David McGinlay.

Former ICAC Commissioner Ken Fleming QC defended the arrangements during Budget Estimates in June.

“We wanted his services because of his skills,” Mr Fleming said.

“We then set up consideration completely separate from Ms Kelly, and I was the person who made the final decision to engage him as a contractor.

“We did that on the basis that the management of him would be kept entirely separate from Ms Kelly.

“She had nothing whatsoever to do with it.”

It was subsequently revealed Mr McGinlay had resigned from the South Australian police force in 2003 while he was the subject of serious disciplinary charges.

It’s understood SA police discontinued an investigation into allegations Mr McGinlay had breached the police code of conduct after he resigned.

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The Office of the ICAC has declined to answer questions about what background checks it made in relation to Mr McGinlay before he was hired.

But Mr Riches, who replaced Mr Fleming as the Commissioner on July 6, has since ruled his office will no longer engage external contractors to conduct investigations.

Earlier this month Mr Fleming was referred to the NT Parliament’s Privileges Committee over “conflicting evidence” given to the Budget Estimates Committee relating to an employee who had complained to the ICAC Inspector about Ms Kelly and Mr McGinlay.

Mr Fleming told the committee the woman was a disgruntled employee who had made the complaint after being told her position was to be terminated.

But the woman’s barrister, John Lawrence SC, later provided documents he said showed the woman had made the complaint first – and been declared a protected whistleblower by Mr Fleming – before being told she would be sacked.