Inside the probe of the Integrity Commissioner’s office

The Queensland corruption watchdog is investigating the Office of the Integrity Commissioner over alleged leaks and the deletion of sensitive information from a laptop.

The Crime and Corruption Commission was quizzed about outgoing Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov during a Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee hearing on Friday.

Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov will leave her role in July, part-way through her second three-year term.Credit: Parliament TV

Dr Stepanov previously complained of her office being raided, which sparked allegations of interference with the integrity watchdog.

She complained to the CCC last year about the seizure of mobile phones and laptops, and altering of security permissions to her office by the Public Service Commission, which has budgetary authority over the Integrity Commissioner’s agency.

On Friday, acting CCC chairman Bruce Barbour revealed that since October 2020, the agency had received 10 complaints about the Office of the Integrity Commissioner, one specifically concerning Dr Stepanov and two separate allegations.

Four complaints were still being assessed and four would not be taken further by the CCC due to insufficient evidence, but Mr Barbour confirmed the remaining two complaints were being investigated.

“The first [allegation] under investigation concerns matters involving the alleged disclosure of, access to, and security of, confidential information relating to the Office of the Integrity Commissioner. The CCC commenced this investigation in August 2021,” Mr Barbour said.

The investigation, codenamed “Operation Workshop”, was expected to be ready in April and Mr Barbour expected to make a report to State Parliament, which would be available to the public.

“Matters relating to laptops and their contents are part of Operation Workshop. That relates to the potential release of confidential information [and] that forms part of that investigation.”

Mr Barbour addressed other allegations against Dr Stepanov herself and the Office of the Integrity Commissioner in general, some of which the CCC is unable to follow up on.

“On December 16, 2020, the CCC received a complaint making two allegations against the Integrity Commissioner. One allegation concerned the misuse of a credit card. The CCC determined there was insufficient evidence to raise a reasonable suspicion of corrupt conduct,” he said.

“The second allegation concerned bullying over a two-year period.

“For the CCC to be able to investigate the Integrity Commissioner, the allegations must be such that if proved, the conduct would amount to a criminal offence.

“What this means is that we are not able to investigate conduct such as workplace bullying.

“Because the position of the Integrity Commissioner is not a public servant, but an officer of the parliament, we are not able to investigate those types of allegations as they generally don’t amount to criminal offences and therefore do not meet the threshold.”

Those allegations were referred back to the Public Service Commission, and then an independent review, with Dr Stepanov also under scrutiny from a separate parliamentary committee.

Dr Stepanov released a statement on Friday, pre-empting a decision on whether the committee would release details of its interest in her affairs.

“Apart from public statements made by others and information contained in recent media reports, it remains the case that I have no knowledge of the nature of the referral [to the Parliamentary Economics and Governance Committee] or the circumstances in which the referral was made.

“It is my sincere desire that any allegations that have been made against me be investigated fully, independently, and expeditiously; and that the outcome of any such investigation be made public as soon as possible.”