The Crime and Corruption Commission’s (CCC) 2016-17 Annual Report was tabled in State Parliament today and it highlights how the CCC protects Queenslanders from major crime and public sector corruption.
Throughout the 2016-17 financial year, 24 people were arrested on a total of 724 charges resulting from organised crime investigations.
There were also 24 people charged with 196 criminal offences relating to its corruption investigations.
The CCC continued to identify and charge criminals for the possession and distribution of child exploitation material and increased its investigations by 77 per cent using additional funding provided by the Queensland Government to improve its forensic computing ability.
In 2016-17, the CCC finalised 16 investigations into allegations of excessive use of force by Queensland police officers, resulting in four criminal charges.
The CCC also completed 21 investigations into the improper release of information by police officers and other public sector employees, resulting in 112 criminal charges.
CCC Chairperson Mr Alan MacSporran QC said a significant achievement in the 2016-17 financial year was the collaboration with the QPS and police unions to reform the QPS complaints and discipline system.
“As part of a six-month trial a total of 456 complaints were successfully assessed and further new reforms are planned to ensure complaints against police are handled with probity, consistency and fairness,” Mr MacSporran said.
The CCC conducted a nine-day public hearing held as part of Operation Belcarra – an investigation into the conduct of candidates from four south-east Queensland councils during the 2016 local government elections.
The CCC published nine corruption prevention advisories to assist Queensland public sector agencies identify corruption risks and develop prevention strategies.
The CCC’s major crime investigations focused on the illicit drug markets that cause the greatest harm to Queensland, especially crystal methylamphetamine (ice).
In 2016-17, Operation Altana was finalised and resulted in seven people being charged with 688 offences relating to the alleged trafficking of ice and cocaine on the Gold Coast.
The CCC also published an intelligence assessment of illicit drug markets in Queensland to alert the community to the changing dynamics within those drug markets.
The 30th anniversary of the commencement of the Fitzgerald Inquiry occurred in May 2017. “It is testament to the hard work of the CCC and its predecessor agencies that the systemic corruption identified during the Fitzgerald Inquiry is no longer commonplace in our public institutions,” Mr MacSporran said.
A copy of the 2016-17 Annual Report is available here.
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