South Australia¡¯s corruption watchdog is investigating allegations of improper conduct by University of Adelaide vice-chancellor Peter Rathjen, and the university¡¯s handling of the allegations.
The state¡¯s Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC), Bruce Lander, said the investigation concerned ¡°potential issues of serious or systemic misconduct and maladministration, not corruption¡±.
He said he would not go into further detail about the nature of the allegations. The university had promised ¡°full cooperation¡±.
Mr Lander said he did not normally confirm or deny his investigations but had decided to do so in this case because of the ¡°intense speculation¡± around the sudden unexplained departure of Professor Rathjen and chancellor Kevin Scarce.
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The university announced that Professor Rathjen had been granted indefinite special leave on 5 May, after Rear Admiral Scarce¡¯s abrupt resignation the previous evening. Adelaide staff have been warned of potential legal repercussions if they discuss the reasons.
¡°The law places restraints on what can be said about an ICAC investigation,¡± deputy chancellor Catherine Branson stressed in an email to staff and students. ¡°While it is natural for us to want to know more about what is happening, we need to remember that this is a matter for the ICAC.¡±
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Mr Lander said he operated upon legislation ¡°predicated upon investigations being conducted in private¡±, but he was worried that continued speculation about the two leaders could inflict ¡°unnecessary negative impact on the university¡¯s operations¡±.
He said the investigation had ¡°only just commenced¡± and ¡°must not be construed as a finding that any person has engaged in impropriety. That will be a matter for findings at the conclusion of the investigation.¡±
He did not commit to releasing the investigation¡¯s outcomes, saying the legislation obliged him to consider whether publicising the results of completed investigations was ¡°in the public interest¡±.
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