Monthly update: December 2025

This is the Commission’s monthly update for December, providing visibility to the media and the public on our key activities and work underway.

As at 10 December, we are conducting 30 preliminary investigations and 38 corruption investigations. Four of our matters are currently before the courts, and since our commencement 11 convictions have been secured as a result of investigations we have commenced or continued.

International Anti-Corruption Day

This week marked International Anti-Corruption Day, an opportunity for the APS – and all Commonwealth public officials – to reflect on a shared commitment to uphold integrity and accountability in everything they do.

We are the newest addition to the Commonwealth integrity system, and are using this International Anti-Corruption Day to raise awareness in the APS and our broader jurisdiction. We are encouraging public officials to Get to know the NACC, to learn about our mission, jurisdiction, and what we mean for all Commonwealth public officials.

New guidance and case studies published

Last week we launched a new guide, Government Business Enterprises: What the NACC means for you, at the OECD-Asia Network on Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises meeting in Melbourne.

Government business enterprises (GBEs) are Commonwealth entities or companies that operate commercially while being owned by, and accountable to, government. They include, for example, Australia Post, NBN Co and Defence Housing Australia, and are within our jurisdiction.

GBEs may face particular corruption risks and vulnerabilities due to their position at the public–private interface and their close relationships with industry – especially in high-risk sectors such as infrastructure, defence and national security – as well as the size and national significance of their projects and their complex governance structures.

Key risk areas in which corrupt conduct may occur within GBEs include procurement and contracting and interference in decision-making. It may take the form of favouritism or bribery.

The guide will help GBE directors, officers, employees, contractors, consultants and advisers understand and prevent corruption risks. Read the GBE guide.

We have also recently published 3 case studies on our website, based on investigations, to assist with identifying corruption risks and to provide real-world examples to better understand vulnerabilities and threats.

These case studies, on Operations Angelo, Overbeek and Roe, join a growing suite of corruption prevention and education resources now available on nacc.gov.au.

Charges laid in Operation Rottnest

In November, 4 individuals – one of whom is a Commonwealth official – were arrested and charged in the Northern Territory for their alleged involvement in a multi-million-dollar fraud in relation to the awarding of Defence contracts.

The charges stem from Operation Rottnest, a joint agency investigation led by the Australian Federal Police with support from the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Department of Defence.

Detecting and investigating alleged corruption in complex procurement activities such as this is one of our strategic corruption priorities. With the Commonwealth public sector spending tens of billions of dollars on procurements each year, corruption in these activities can lead to substantial loss and waste, decreased service quality, and reduced confidence in the public sector.

For more information, see:

• Commonwealth employee among three people charged over alleged multi-million dollar fraud scheme
• Fourth person charged over multi-million dollar fraud

APSACC early-bird registration on sale

Early-bird registration for the Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference (APSACC), to be hosted by the NACC in Canberra in 2026, is now available.

With the theme A strategic approach to integrity – culture, systems and accountability, APSACC 2026 will be an in-person and virtual event across 3 days, comprising one day of workshops and a 2-day conference from 7-9 September at the National Convention Centre in Canberra.

Speakers already announced include Assistant Minister for the Public Service the Hon Patrick Gorman MP, former Victorian IBAC Commissioner the Hon Robert Redlich AM KC, and former Victorian Ombudsman and former UK Independent Police Complaints Commissioner Deborah Glass OBE.

To register or for more information, visit the APSACC 2026 website.

Updates to Fast facts on the Commission’s website 

We publish weekly Fast facts on our website to provide media and the public visibility of our operational activity, including the latest figures for referrals, corruption investigations and matters before the court.

Following a break over Christmas and New Year, we will resume updates to these figures in the week commencing Monday 19 January 2026.

It is important to note that the weekly Fast facts are indicative figures, based on information available at the time, and are not subject to the more rigorous verification which is undertaken for our Annual Report.

Since publishing our Annual Report 2024-25, we have realised that a number of preliminary investigations that were closed during 2024-25 were not identified and counted in data used for the Annual Report 2024-25. The correct figures are below and will be included as an erratum in our next Annual Report.

Table 2.12: Number of preliminary investigations on foot (2024-25)

Table 2.13: Status of preliminary investigation by commencement year (at 30 June 2025)

Table 2.14: Number of preliminary investigations closed during the reporting period by outcome