NT ICAC commissioner Michael Riches resigns

Australia Broadcast Center

14-05-2025

The Northern Territory's Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC) Michael Riches has resigned.
It comes after an 11-month investigation into "workplace allegations" at his office was finalised.
According to a NT government statement on Tuesday night, in June 2024, former chief minister Eva Lawler advised NT parliament she had referred "workplace allegations within the Office of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption" to the Commissioner for Public Employment, for investigation.
Those allegations about Mr Riches's behaviour were noted by the Inspector of the ICAC in a report delivered that same month, which investigated separate claims against Mr Riches.
In a statement on Tuesday night, Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said she had received a finalised report into the workplace allegations from the Commissioner for Public Employment on May 7.
She said she "immediately" provided the findings to ICAC inspector Bruce McClintock "for him to consider and to determine whether the findings of the investigation warrant further action", with his report to be tabled in parliament once completed.
However, she said Mr Riches had resigned on Tuesday, with his departure to come into effect on May 15.
Given the resignation, Ms Finocchiaro said the ICAC inspector had informed her "he has exercised his discretion under the Act to terminate the investigation as it is no longer in the public interest and is an unnecessary expenditure of Territory resources".
She said despite Mr Riches's resignation, she had requested the Commissioner of Public Employment publish the report on the agency's website.
"As a result of the Inspector of the ICAC's investigation concluding, I have today requested the Commissioner for Public Employment necessitate sufficient redaction to allow for privacy and confidentiality concerns to be allayed and for the Confidential Report to be published on the OCPE's website," she said.
Ms Finocchiaro confirmed Greg Shanahan would continue as acting ICAC commissioner "to provide certainty".
"As a new government, we share the community's frustrations regarding the length of time and costs in which this whole process has taken," she said.
Mr Riches has been on leave from his highly-paid position since June last year, when a separate investigation by the ICAC inspector was initiated.
That investigation centred on legal documents which revealed Mr Riches had agreed to pay his estranged wife $20,000 at the same time as she withdrew a domestic violence order against him.
An investigation by Mr McClintock found Mr Riches had not acted improperly when making this payment.
Despite Mr Riches being cleared of any wrongdoing, then-chief minister Ms Lawler said at the time he would remain on indefinite leave as he required "time to focus on his health and recovery".
She also said the ICAC inspector report would not be made public because it contained sensitive information.
"The ICAC Inspector has identified that his report contains confidential information concerning both Mr Riches and Ms Riches' allegations, and legal documents which are the subject of legal professional privilege, as well as highly confidential medical information," she said.
"On this basis it should not be published."
In September, Ms Finocchiaro refused to provide a timeframe for Mr Riches's return or confirm if he was on paid or unpaid leave.