The National Anti-Corruption Commission (Nacc) inspector, Gail Furness, has dropped two investigations into complaints against former commissioner Paul Brereton, citing his resignation and the satisfactory resolution of systemic issues. In a statement on Wednesday, Furness said she could not justify further expenditure on the probes, which had already consumed significant public funds.
Investigations halted due to resignation and systemic fixes
Furness explained that completing the draft reports, which were partly contested, would require additional public money. '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,' she said. Brereton, the Nacc's inaugural commissioner, announced his resignation in May during a Senate estimates hearing, three years into his five-year term, which ended this week.
Conflict of interest probe dropped
One investigation stemmed from Brereton's failure to properly declare conflicts of interest related to his ongoing role as Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF) while overseeing defence-related referrals between July 2023 and October 2025. Furness had prepared a draft report but deemed further investigation unnecessary as the relevant information was already public. A legal dispute over whether Brereton breached public governance laws was also rendered moot by his resignation. Although 98 defence-related referrals were made to the Nacc during that period, Furness did not complete her analysis but concluded that changes to conflict-of-interest declarations at the Nacc addressed systemic issues.
Second probe kept confidential over safety concerns
Details of the second investigation remain largely hidden due to safety concerns for the complainant and because Brereton's lawyers contested the allegations. The complaint, referred to Furness in December 2025, concerned Brereton's conduct on one occasion related to two separate Nacc operations. Furness decided to investigate after receiving Brereton's response in April, but his lawyers 'contested the validity of my decision to conduct this complaint investigation and prepare or publish a report.' Individuals associated with the incident expressed fears for their and their families' safety if details were disclosed, leading Furness to conclude that a final report would be 'significantly curtailed,' a strong factor in ending the probe.
Brereton's resignation removes scrutiny burden
Furness stated that Brereton's resignation means the Nacc will no longer be 'unnecessarily hampered by continued scrutiny of his actions,' justifying the cessation of both investigations. Acting commissioner Kylie Kilgour welcomed the finding of no ongoing systemic issues and thanked Furness for her decision. '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,' Kilgour said.
