NT ICAC Michael Riches releases statement after DV allegations levelled by former wife
The Northern Territory’s anti-corruption commissioner has broken his silence over allegations of domestic violence, rejecting accusations made by his ex-wife and vowing to return to his job.
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The Northern Territory’s anti-corruption commissioner has broken his silence over allegations of domestic violence, rejecting accusations made by his ex-wife and vowing to return to his job.
Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Michael Riches has been on indefinite leave since his ex-wife Jennifer Riches went public with allegations she had been subjected to emotional abuse during their nine-year marriage.
Last week ICAC Inspector Bruce McClintock SC cleared Mr Riches of wrongdoing and found an allegation he improperly offered Ms Riches $20,000 to suppress an allegation of domestic violence to be untrue.
In a lengthy written statement provided exclusively to Sky News, Mr Riches:
> Rejects allegations he engaged in the coercive control of his ex-wife, including accusations he used security cameras to spy on her in the marital home;
> Details how Ms Riches made a demand for an “immediate payment of $30,000 in spousal maintenance”, on the same day she lodged a domestic violence order application against him in the Darwin Local Court;
> Provides evidence that he immediately reported the matter to Mr McClintock and sought a meeting with the office of former chief minister Natasha Fyles;
> Raises concerns about “physically intimidating behaviour” at his Darwin home in recent weeks, that has resulted in police implementing increased security measures; and,
> Says he plans to return to his job as soon as he is well enough to do so.
“While I accept that being in a public role will inevitably involve public scrutiny, the past few weeks have been personally and professionally devastating,” Mr Riches said.
“These sustained and personal attacks on my integrity and my reputation have had an enormous impact on my family and me.”
In media interviews earlier this month, Ms Riches, while not asserting any physical abuse, alleged that the Commissioner’s temper and controlling behaviour had caused her to leave the family home on several occasions.
She also said CCTV cameras in their home made her feel uncomfortable.
Mr Riches said he had been advised by Mr McClintock that he had made no finding of wrongdoing in relation to this matter.
“As a part of my appointment, cameras were installed for security purposes,” he said.
“That is what they were used for. I never used them for the purposes alleged.”
Mr Riches said he made the appropriate disclosures after he was served with an application for a restraining order and has provided documentary evidence to support his claim.
He has detailed his version of the sequence of events that began on May 19 last year, after Ms Riches informed him she was leaving their marriage.
“On 19 May 2023 I was advised by my lawyer that my former partner had demanded the immediate payment of $30,000 in spousal maintenance, to be paid by 23 May 2024,” he said.
“On that same evening (19 May 2023), I was served with the application for a restraining order.
“That application was served on me by a private process server, not by police as has been falsely asserted.
“On 20 May 2023 (the day after I was served), I advised the Inspector of the application. I also advised a number of my senior staff.”
While some media reports have asserted Mr Riches failed to inform Mr McClintock of the allegations being made by his ex-wife to protect his job, Mr Riches has provided an email he sent to Mr McClintock on Saturday May 20, 2023, at 6:47pm.
“Yesterday I received a letter demanding the immediate payment of $30,000 for spousal maintenance,” Mr Riches writes.
“On the same day I was served with an application for a domestic violence order. The application is to be heard at 9:30am on Monday 30 May.
“I am devastated. My wife does not allege physical abuse (because that has never happened), but asserts that I am controlling and without an order I will ‘monitor’ and ‘stalk’ her.
“Part of her assertion is based upon the existence of cameras in our home. Those cameras were installed and paid for by the Northern Territory Government as a part of my appointment.”
Mr Riches raises concerns the airing of the allegations will have a significant impact on his reputation, even if they are dismissed.
“I wanted to bring this to your attention as I am currently contemplating my future. I have worked incredibly hard to rebuild the reputation of the office in the NT and I do not want to be the reason for causing it more damage,” he writes in the email to Mr McClintock.
“I have made a time to meet with the Chief Minister on Tuesday afternoon. I will endeavour to make a decision by then.
“If, in the circumstances, you think I should step down and resign, then please let me know.”
Mr Riches’ correspondence also disproves claims made by the Northern Territory Government that there were “no records” of a meeting he requested to discuss the matter with then-Chief Minister Natasha Fyles.
In a statement provided to the media on June 18, an NT government spokesperson said: “The office doesn’t have any record of a meeting scheduled between the former Chief Minister and the ICAC Commissioner on 23 May, 2023. We will refer this line of questioning to the ICAC Inspector for him to make a thorough evaluation of the claim.”
However, documents provided to Sky News show Mr Riches emailed Ms Fyles’ chief-of-staff Gabrielle Mappas at 7:34pm on May 19, 2023, the day he was served with the application for a restraining order, seeking an urgent meeting to discuss a “personal matter”.
Ms Mappas responded on the same evening and a meeting was confirmed for 3pm on May 23.
Mr Riches was sent a meeting invite which he accepted.
After being sent the correspondence, a Government spokesperson confirmed that, “upon further examination, the Commissioner did seek a meeting with the then Chief Minister at this time but Mr Riches cancelled the meeting request. The meeting request came through a staff member and was not copied into the then Chief Minister’s email or diary account”.
The meeting was cancelled after Mr Riches’ lawyers made a counteroffer to Ms Riches’ demand for $30,000, offering to pay her $12,000 plus eight payments of $1000 per fortnight as a partial property settlement – not spousal maintenance – on the condition Mr Riches kept his job as the Commissioner.
“Time is of the essence and if Ms Riches does not withdraw her DVO, then Mr Riches will be forced to retire from his role as the ICAC. This will have considerable consequences for the alteration of property interest,” Mr Riches lawyer wrote to Ms Riches.
Ms Riches accepted the offer and withdrew the DVO application.
In his statement, Mr Riches said it was clear he had immediately disclosed the matter to the Inspector and made efforts to inform the Chief Minister.
“In the interim, having agreed (much to my own embarrassment) to enter into an undertaking not to communicate with my former partner, and given my former partner had agreed not to proceed with the application, I advised the Chief Minister’s staff that a meeting was no longer required,” he said.
“As is clear, I made known to my Inspector the fact of the application the day after it was served on me. The assertion that I hid the fact of the application is false and has caused me enormous reputational harm.”
Ms Riches has told media outlets she felt disempowered during her relationship with Mr Riches and accused him of controlling behaviour.
“The build-up of a long period of time of control and feeling very hopeless … as though I kind of couldn’t get out of a situation,” she told the ABC.
“I tried many times to talk with (Mr Riches) and communicate how I felt, but nothing ever changed.
“There was a real pattern that was emerging.
“There were anger outbursts and things were becoming harder and harder to navigate and I just started to become really afraid of him.”
Mr Riches said he had given a great deal of consideration as to how he could respond to these allegations.
“While my wife has correctly acknowledged that there was never physical violence, I recognise the significant and detrimental impact that all forms of domestic violence have in our community, and the fact that the overwhelming majority of such violence is perpetrated by men,” he said.
“I do not wish to say or do anything that undermines the very important work being done to address such abhorrent behaviour.
“While there are a great many things I could say to address those allegations, I do not wish to do so in a way that publicly denigrates my former partner.
“All I will say is that I have a very different perspective on the matters asserted. Our relationship, like many others, faced a number of challenges, particularly in relation to matters of financial management.
“While I have a very different perspective on past events to that of my former partner, I continue to hope that she is well supported.”
Mr Riches also raised concerns about recent incidents at his Darwin home.
“Physically intimidating behaviour has occurred in front of my home, necessitating police to take certain security measures,” he said.
“I respectfully request that such behaviour cease, and that my family and I be given an opportunity to regroup from these events.”
Mr Riches said he wanted to thank the staff at the Office of the ICAC and apologised to them for the impact these events have had on them and their work.
“I look forward to returning to the office as soon as I can, in order to complete a number of outstanding investigation reports, and to continue the important work of the office,” he said.
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