Anti-corruption commissioner Michael Riches is under investigation in relation to “serious allegations” made about his conduct by “several” staff members in the Office of the ICAC and has been placed on leave until the end of September.

Chief Minister Eva Lawler tabled a summary report of ICAC Inspector Bruce McClintock’s investigation into Mr Riches’s conduct surrounding domestic violence allegations made by his wife in Parliament on Thursday night.

While the investigation cleared Mr Riches of “corrupt conduct”, including for paying his wife $20,000 to drop a Domestic Violence Order application filed in May of last year, Mr McClintock’s investigation uncovered allegations by Mr Riches’s staff which caused “great concern”.

“…Several employees of the Office of the ICAC contacted me to raise a series of issues with Commissioner Riches’s behaviour as Commissioner,” Mr McClintock wrote in his report.

“Those employees made allegations which, if true, would be of great concern.”

Mr McClintock added that legislative restrictions left him unable to pursue the allegations and recommended Ms Lawler refer them to the Public Employment Commissioner for investigation.

Ms Lawler said in Parliament on Thursday night that she has referred the allegations and, as first reported by the NT Independent on Wednesday, Public Employment Commissioner Nicole Hurwood has hired an interstate investigator to probe the claims.

The nature of the “serious allegations” have not been disclosed.

This masthead also reported on Wednesday that two other women who work in the OICAC have also filed internal complaints about Mr Riches in recent weeks.

Mr Riches said on Wednesday that he was not aware of the allegations.

“I have always acted with the utmost professionalism toward all of my staff, and any suggestion to the contrary is outrageous,” he said in an email.

Ms Lawler said the Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet will also “make available any additional resourcing or support” for the investigation into Mr Riches’s alleged behaviour.

“It is essential that natural justice and an impartial approach to the conduct of this process prevails for all parties,” Ms Lawler said in Parliament.

“Mr Riches will be on an approved leave of absence, which will cease on the 22nd of September 2024 or at the conclusion of the investigation process.”

The report from Ms Hurwood will be provided to whoever the chief minister is after the August general election and further action will be taken if necessary, Ms Lawler added.

Acting ICAC Naomi Loudon will remain in the role while the investigation into Mr Riches is carried out.

She has refused to confirm if her previously stated conflict of interest in the Labor election rorts investigation is related to her personal friendship with a former Labor staffer connected to one of the subjects of a second report that was to be finalised by the end of the month, or another separate conflict. Ms Loudon also declined to comment yesterday on compromising photos allegedly depicting her in an intoxicated state at a Darwin bar that were viewed by office staff last year.

Questions still remain over other elements of Mr McClintock’s report, including whether Mr Riches disclosed the Domestic Violence Undertaking that he signed when the DVO application was withdrawn. That undertaking was prescribed for two years and is still in effect.

Mr McClintock has refused to explain what action he took when made aware of the domestic violence allegation in May of last year, why it appeared not to have been investigated at the time and why it was not disclosed to the minister responsible for the ICAC Act.

There was no mention of the signed Domestic Violence Undertaking in the summary report tabled in Parliament on Thursday night.