The Northern Territory's ICAC commissioner has voiced his "great concern" that people may be holding off from reporting corruption activity due to a lack of trust with the ICAC office.
ICAC commissioner Michael Riches made the comments in a 45-minute video sent to Territory government public servants on Thursday, regarding the NT ICAC's new mandatory reporting directions.
"I have no doubt that at least for some people, their willingness to come forward and report matters to me has been influenced by criticisms that have been made about my office," Mr Riches said.
"I do not underestimate the responsibility I have to rebuild any lost trust and confidence in my office."
His comments come just six months after the retirement of his predecessor, the NT ICAC's inaugural commissioner, Ken Fleming.
Mr Fleming's time at the helm was peppered with controversy.
Among the issues raised from his tenure, the ICAC was found by its own inspector to have breached its own act during a high-profile investigation into the Darwin Turf Club.
Mr Fleming was also forced to apologise over an email bungle where two people named in a corruption inquiry had been denied natural justice.
"It would be foolish of me not to acknowledge this office has been the subject of criticism," Mr Ritches said in the new video.
"Now, because those criticisms relate to matters that occurred prior to my commencement, I will not offer any comment on those criticisms, or on the matters that those criticisms relate.
The ICAC's newly released reporting directions lay out the legal obligation for some of the highest-ranked public servants and statutory officers in the Territory to report alleged corruption.
"A prescribed public officer must also report to the ICAC suspected misconduct or unsatisfactory conduct, unless the prescribed public officer knows that the conduct has already been reported to the ICAC," the directions state.
Among those listed as "prescribed public officers" are the Vice-Chancellor of Charles Darwin University, the NT Police Commissioner and the CEO of the Batchelor Institute.
