ICAC report finds former Health Department site and security manager engaged in corrupt conduct

THE NT’s anti-corruption watchdog has found a former Department of Health employee engaged in corrupt conduct by falsifying Aboriginal identity documents and lying about his qualifications to win a government position, and says the case exposes serious and systemic issues in the public sector recruitment process.

Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Ken Fleming QC. Picture: Keri Megelus

THE NT’s anti-corruption watchdog has found a former Department of Health employee engaged in corrupt conduct by falsifying Aboriginal identity documents and lying about his qualifications to win a government position, and says the case exposes serious and systemic issues in the public sector recruitment process.

In an investigation report released yesterday, the NT’s Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC) Ken Fleming QC found Ashley Brown falsified two different Certificates of Aboriginality, including by forging signatures and using a common seal stamp of an Aboriginal land council that does not exist.

He also found Mr Brown used one or both certificates to apply for 14 positions with the NT public service, all of which were advertised under special measures recruitment and selection plans, before being hired as a site and security manager with the Department of Health – a position with a salary of up to $136,666 a year.

The report also stated that Mr Brown had both exaggerated his work experience and listed qualifications he did not have or had not completed on his resume.

Mr Fleming made a number of recommendations on how NT public sector recruitment and disciplinary processes could be strengthened, saying Mr Brown’s case had “highlighted systemic risks” in the NT public sector recruitment framework that allowed some cases of improper conduct to slip through the gaps.

He found current processes failed to adequately detect candidates who falsify their applications and qualifications or had been subject to disciplinary action elsewhere in the NT public sector.

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He also determined there is no central register of NT public sector employees who are, or have been, subject to disciplinary processes; no across-government register of employees who have dishonestly attempted to apply for a job; no standardised approach to risk-based pre-employment screening; and no guidance regarding the application of criminal history checks and other screening processes.

In correspondence included at the end of the report, Mr Brown admitted wrongdoing but insisted his Aboriginal heritage was real.

“Yes, I made the certificate up however, it does not take away from the fact that I am an Aboriginal person and have identified that way for over 30 years,” he wrote.

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Public Employment Minister Paul Kirby said: “These are serious allegations and we will be working through the findings and recommendations with the Commissioner for Public Employment to determine what process changes are needed,” he said.

A NT Health spokeswoman said: “NT Health operates under the NT Public Sector simplified recruitment process as established and governed by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment.

“NT Health is not able to comment on individual matters.”