ICAC’s ’hatchet job’ probe
THE anti-corruption watchdog is being investigated for allegedly producing a “hatchet job” designed to smear a senior member of the press as “payback” for the publication of unfavourable stories towards the ICAC, The Weekend Australian reported on Saturday.
Bruce McClintock, the inspector of the NT ICAC, has accepted a complaint lodged by News Corp Australia on behalf of the NT News and former editor Matt Williams.
It comes after a report was released by the ICAC on June 25 into the awarding of a $12m government grant to the Darwin Turf Club.
News Corp’s complaint alleges ICAC personnel doctored evidence, breached confidentiality laws and failed to afford natural justice to those implicated by not giving them a right of reply, after it included paragraphs saying a “senior representative of a media organisation” promised DTC chairman Brett Dixon favourable coverage of the grandstand plan.
Williams, who had said he was not contacted by the ICAC before the report’s release, was later publicly identified.
News Corp’s complaint alleges the ICAC report reproduced an incomplete text message between Williams and Mr Dixon, which, in part, read: “The NT News, especially since I’ve been in charge, has been a big supporter” in an attempt to indicate personal support.
The full relevant sentence, however, read: “The NT News, especially since I’ve been in charge, has been a big supporter of racing and we will continue to be”.
“It is apparent (Williams) was dragged into the controversy by the ICAC as some form of payback for the newspaper doing what newspapers are supposed to do: that is, hold the powerful to account . . . It is apparent that the ICAC has doctored that sentence to suit its own purposes,” Mr Cameron wrote.
“The final ICAC report ... appears to be a rushed hatchet job designed to publicly embarrass (the NT News and Williams).”
It was reported the complaint alleged a senior ICAC official left NT News general manager Greg Thomson with “the impression . . . that the reference to Mr Williams in the forthcoming report was, in essence, a retaliatory act by the ICAC over the NT News’ reporting of unrelated matters concerning the ICAC”.
Williams was quoted as saying: “The NT News published two front pages on the grandstand scandal in February 2020, which was four months after I sent the message, so to suggest we were running some sort of protection racket for Mr Dixon and the turf club is complete nonsense.”