The NT’s first law officer, Attorney General Chansey Paech, has been referred to the anti-corruption commissioner for allegedly failing to publicly disclose “his deep connections” to an Aboriginal service provider in Alice Springs that an independent MLA says was awarded “enormous amounts of public money”.

Member for Araluen Robyn Lambley referred Mr Paech to the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption on Wednesday, saying Mr Paech had not declared a conflict of interest with Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Corporation – a service provider that has been awarded millions in government contracts for work on Alice Springs town camps over the last few years.

A number of those tenders valued in the millions were awarded to Tangentyere and subsidiary companies through select tenders, which means no other provider was invited to bid on the contracts. Mr Paech served as Remote Housing Minister between March and May 2022.

In June 2022, the company was awarded a $6.4 million select contract to demolish seven old houses at Alice Springs’ Mount Nancy town camp and build nine new homes, part of a $40 million investment to overhaul housing in 11 town camps.

It’s understood that Mr Paech’s former electorate officer had worked for Tangentyere and others he refers to as family are in current senior management positions with the company.

Ms Lambley said she was made aware of the connections between Mr Paech and senior managers by people in the community and had a duty to refer suspected corrupt conduct to the ICAC.

“Chansey Paech has had every opportunity to declare his conflicts of interest and recuse himself from all government business related to the Aboriginal Corporation, but has failed to do so over several years,” she said.

“Many people in Central Australia have drawn to my attention these allegations of misconduct and potential corruption by Paech.”

Mr Paech’s Statement of Registrable Interests, in which MLA’s disclose potential conflicts of interest, was last updated in March 2022 when he was Remote Housing Minister, and does not include any reference to anyone connected to Tangentyere.

Ms Lambley said in a statement that she “genuinely respects the important work that Tangentyere Council does on behalf of the town campers of Alice Springs”, but that she had a legal responsibility to refer Mr Paech to the ICAC for potential “improper conduct”.

“Chansey Paech is the first law officer of the NT and must execute his role with the highest level of integrity and transparency,” she said.

“His blatant preferential treatment of Tangentyere Council without declaring a conflict of interest has been observed by many.

“I will now leave it in the hands of the ICAC Commissioner to serve some justice, particularly for the people of Central Australia who have been impacted by Paech’s years of favouritism, lack of integrity and misconduct.”

Mr Paech’s office was contacted for comment.

Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Corporation has also been contacted for comment.