The National Anti-Corruption Commission (Nacc) inspector, Gail Furness, has ended two investigations into complaints against the former commissioner, Paul Brereton, citing his resignation and the satisfactory resolution of systemic issues. In a statement released on Wednesday, Furness said she could not justify further expenditure on the inquiries.
Investigations dropped due to resignation and cost
Furness stated that significant public money had already been spent on the two complaint investigations. To complete the draft reports, which were partly contested, would require further considerable public funds. She concluded, 'I cannot justify such expenditure in circumstances where Commissioner Brereton has resigned and, in my opinion, the systemic issues which had been identified have been satisfactorily addressed.'
Brereton, the Nacc's inaugural commissioner, announced his resignation during a Senate estimates hearing in May, stepping down three years into his five-year term. His tenure ended on Monday. At the time, he said the investigations were 'drawing attention away from the commission's core purpose of strengthening integrity.'
Conflict of interest complaints
One investigation arose from Brereton's failure to appropriately declare conflicts of interest related to his ongoing role within the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF) office, while overseeing defence-related referrals between July 2023 and October 2025. Furness had prepared a draft report but decided it was unnecessary to continue as the relevant information was already publicly available.
Furness noted that a legal issue regarding whether Brereton had contravened public governance laws, contested by his lawyers, was no longer necessary to resolve after his resignation. Although she had received 98 defence-related referrals during the period, Furness did not complete her analysis but concluded that changes to the Nacc regarding conflict of interest declarations resolved any systemic issues.
Second investigation details withheld
Details of the second investigation into Brereton's conduct remain largely hidden due to concerns about the complainant's safety and because Brereton's lawyers contested the allegations. Furness said the complaint, referred to her in December 2025, related to Brereton's conduct on one occasion involving two separate Nacc operations. She decided to commence the investigation after receiving Brereton's response in April this year.
Furness added that 'individuals associated with the occasion have told me of their concerns about their and their families' safety if details of the allegation and surrounding events were disclosed publicly.' As a result, the publication of a final report would be 'significantly curtailed,' which was a 'strong factor in not continuing the complaint investigation.'
Conclusion and response
Furness concluded that Brereton's resignation meant the Nacc would no longer be 'unnecessarily hampered by continued scrutiny of [Brereton's] actions,' leading to the cessation of both investigations. Acting commissioner Kylie Kilgour welcomed the finding, stating, 'We have a range of prevention and education activities underway, as well as a number of important investigations. There's lots of work to get on with.'
