Independent inquiry to probe senior NT police recruitment under commissioner Murphy

ABC NEWS (Australia)

After days of intense scrutiny and pressure, the Chief Minister has launched an inquiry into executive promotions awarded while Michael Murphy was Commissioner of Police. Lead by a veteran supreme court judge, the Government and senior police will be hoping the probe restores confidence in the force - once and for all.

Transcript

00:00In lockstep with the territories acting top cop after days of pressure, a commitment from

00:08the Chief Minister.

00:09We have engaged Justice Blow, a Tasmanian former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

00:16of Tasmania, to undertake an independent inquiry in conjunction with OCPE to look at the promotions

00:25that have taken place since August 2023.

00:28Examining all appointments from the rank of superintendent and above, it's a broad-reaching

00:33independent inquiry which, despite calls all week, the Chief Minister hasn't been ready

00:38to commit to.

00:39It wasn't off the table and I've just been methodically working through things.

00:44Resistance too from Acting Commissioner Martin Dole on Monday.

00:47I don't believe it's necessary, I don't believe there's any evidence of wrongdoing in relation

00:51to any of those appointments.

00:54Two days later, with Justice Blow's inquiries already underway, the position of the police

00:59was clarified.

01:00Acting Commissioner Martin Dole has thrown his full support behind cooperating as a police

01:06force with this important inquiry.

01:09And while there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Mr Dole or other police officers, the investigation

01:14places him front and centre in a book's open examination, probing the circumstances of

01:20his own promotion to the role of Deputy Commissioner under Michael Murphy.

01:24To clear the air on this issue once and for all.

01:27The Chief Minister has not given Justice Blow a deadline for the review.

01:31His findings will be tabled in Parliament.

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