The National Anti-Corruption Commission has announced it will reconsider its decision not to investigate referrals from the Robodebt royal commission, after finding the commissioner did not properly deal with a declared conflict of interest.
The inspector who oversees the corruption watchdog launched an investigation into the decision not to pursue the Robodebt referrals, and determined the commissioner held a conflict of interest that should have required him not to participate in the decision.
Commissioner Paul Brereton declared he had a "close association" with one of the people referred to the NACC by the Robodebt royal commission, and so delegated decision-making to one of his deputies.
But the inspector determined he should have removed himself entirely, and that the deputy would have been fully aware of commissioner Brereton's conflict of interest, as well as his views on the referred person's exercise of their powers in the Robodebt saga.
