The federal corruption watchdog will investigate six people responsible for the former government’s illegal debt collection scheme, backflipping on a previous decision.
Following a review process, the National Anti-Corruption Commission revealed on Tuesday it will probe whether any of the six officials referred in the robodebt royal commission’s final report engaged in corrupt conduct.
This overturns the commission’s controversial June decision not to investigate the referrals.
The watchdog did not reveal reasons for starting an investigation, noting that could prejudice the process.
But in October, the National Anti-Corruption Commission Inspector Gail Furness found the commission’s head Paul Brereton engaged in misconduct as he had ties with one of the six in question but did not adequately recuse himself from the watchdog’s decision.
Mr Brereton and the other deputy commissioners involved in the original decision will not participate in the investigation.
Between 2016 and 2019, the former coalition government’s robodebt scheme recovered more than $750 million from almost 400,000 people.
Many welfare recipients were falsely accused of owing the government money and the program was linked to several suicides.
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