Senior NT police recruits to be examined by independent inquiry

The Northern Territory's chief minister has announced an independent inquiry will take place regarding recent senior police recruitments.

The action from Lia Finocchiaro comes almost a week after outgoing Commissioner Michael Murphy announced he was the unnamed bureaucrat the corruption watchdog found to have dished out a "job for a mate".

Murphy is on leave, and Finocchiaro announced at the weekend that his termination process was under way, with Martin Dole now the acting police commissioner.

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Finocchiaro said the inquiry will examine dozens of promotions to superintendents and above that have taken place since August 2023.

"To clear the air once and for all, we need this process to be undertaken so that everyone can move forward," she said.

"It's been a very troubling period, and what I can't have is uncertainty in a police force who has a very big and important job to do."

Starting today, the inquiry will be facilitated through the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment and led by Acting Justice Alan Blow AO.

Justice Blow was appointed as an acting justice of the Northern Territory Supreme Court in January and was previously the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Tasmania.

Despite Dole's comments on Monday that he didn't see a need for a review of the appointments made under Murphy, Finocchiaro says he's "thrown his full support behind cooperating as a police force with this important inquiry".

"What it will look into is the processes for those recruitments and then whether or not those processes were on merit," Finocchiaro said.

"At the conclusion of all of this, a report will be prepared and provided to me."

"That report will be tabled in parliament, and then it can put to bed any of the uncertainty."

Opposition Leader Selena Uibo says the chief minister has taken too long to act on the ICAC's findings, but Finocchiaro says she's "just been methodically working through things".

The chief minister could not provide a cost, but she said, "For however much work is required and for however long that work is required for, will be what the ultimate dollar figure is, which can all be made public, I'm assuming."

Depending on Justice Blow's findings, Dole's future employment with the force could be impacted.

This follows his admission on Monday that he was on the same selection panel that Murphy sat on to appoint three assistant commissioners early last year.

However, Dole said he did not provide any personal references, although he was listed as a referee for more than one applicant.

Finocchiaro also dismissed claims that she was aware of Dole's presence on the selection panel before finding out on Monday.

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