Paul Brereton has been appointed as the first commissioner of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, which will begin operations in mid-2023, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reports on March 29.
Justice Brereton led an inquiry into allegations of war crimes committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan and most recently served on the New South Wales Court of Appeal. At the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), he will be joined by deputy commissioners Nicole Rose and Ben Gauntlett, while senior attorney Gail Furness will serve as inspector.
Rose was most recently Chief Executive of financial watchdog AUSTRAC, and Dr. Gauntlett served on the Human Rights Commission as Disability Discrimination Commissioner. The NACC will be led by Chief Executive Philip Reed, who was most recently Director General of the New South Wales Anti-Corruption Commission.
Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said the appointments were made in accordance with the government’s policy of transparency and merit, and with the approval of the parliamentary joint committee responsible for overseeing the NACC.
Judge Brereton, a 65-year-old Major General in the Army Reserve, has previously criticized Australian Special Forces culture, calling it a problematic “warrior culture”. His landmark report, published more than two years ago, recommended that 19 soldiers be further investigated in connection with the alleged murder of 39 prisoners and civilians.
Mr Dreyfus suggested that Justice Brereton’s experience as an Australian Defense Force Inspector General investigating conduct in Afghanistan made him an attractive candidate for the post.
“It was, by any measure, an extremely difficult and lengthy investigation: there were great difficulties in getting people to confess, great difficulties in obtaining evidence, he said. — I hope that from time to time the National Anti-Corruption Commission faces similar difficulties. So we know about Paul Brereton that he has the caliber that we need to do this kind of really complex research.”
Also read: Australian special forces involved in the killing of 39 Afghan civilians
Source: Rossa Primavera
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