Controversial South Australian government property sale being investigated

The controversial private sale of Government-owned land in Adelaide’s north-west has been heavily criticised and scrutinised by the Auditor General and in the Supreme Court.

Now the commissioner of the State's Independent Commission Against Corruption has revealed he too is examining the sale.

In December 2013, the cabinet rubber stamped a $100m sale of land at Gillman to Adelaide Capital Partners, which wants to develop the site.

The sale conducted by the Government's Renewal SA arm,  but done without an open, public tender.

That sparked criticism the deal had short-changed taxpayers.

Those concerns were echoed by the Auditor General who found the deal had been done without even a current land valuation.

ICAC chief Bruce Lander today issued a statement saying this was not a corruption investigation, instead that he was looking at whether this was a case of maladministration.

Should he find any evidence of corruption,  he will pursue that too, he said.

A Supreme Court Judge described the sale as "irrational" and "unlawful", but still the deal has been defended by the Government and Premier Jay Weatherill.

Mr Lander has taken the rare step of publicly confirming an ICAC investigation, because, he says, it's a matter of public interest.