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AAP
AAP
National
Robyn Wuth and Nick Gibbs

Qld corruption report probes use of police

Annastacia Palaszczuk says the Queensland government is likely to accept all recommendations. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Queensland's corruption watchdog should go through greater checks and balances before lodging charges following a bungled investigation into Logan City Council, a report has found.

The probe into the Crime and Corruption Commission headed by former judge and corruption fighter Tony Fitzgerald delivered 32 recommendations to the state government on Tuesday.

They include the agency relying less on seconded police by recruiting more skilled civilian investigators.

The watchdog will also have to seek legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions before proceeding with charges.

Newly appointed CCC chairman Bruce Barbour welcomed the report and said the organisation would immediately begin implementing the recommendations.

The government will likely accept the recommendations in full with the report to go to cabinet on Monday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says.

"No one would like to see what happened to those particular councillors happen again," she told reporters.

"There is nothing here that I cannot see our government implementing."

That includes funding for a new corruption strategy and prevention unit as part of an overarching restructure.

This would reduce reliance on seconded police and strengthen the organisation's oversight.

The report said current secondment arrangements did not provide appropriate flexibility.

"This will require the CCC to consider the skills it needs, at what time and for what purpose and engage with the QPS to ensure the composition of the group reflects those needs," it said.

Flaws in the Logan City Council matter showed a degree of 'group think' or 'pack culture' among police seconded to the CCC, the inquiry was told.

"We came to the conclusion that elements of the CCC's structure and organisation involving seconded police officers carried risks that manifested in the Logan Council matter," the report noted.

"The CCC lacks ... both internal and external checks and balances that appropriately addressed these risks.

"We have concluded that seconded police officers remain a valuable asset in the CCC's work but their skills and experience do not entirely meet the requirements of the CCC's corruption investigations."

The recommendations renewed calls for an apology and compensation for those impacted by the CCC's actions.

"We must not forget there was a real human cost to the wrongful actions of the CCC in the Logan matter," Local Government Association of Queensland CEO Alison Smith said.

Ms Smith said the CCC charging elected members without considering all evidence amounted to a travesty of justice.

"The State must now make amends ... ensuring compensation and an apology for all those impacted and by implementing the recommendations."

Liberal National spokesperson Fiona Simpson welcomed the report and called for urgent implementation of the reforms.

"I hope the recommendations made today will allow the CCC to better focus on its core anti-corruption job," Ms Simpson said.

The inquiry followed claims the watchdog breached its duty to remain independent and impartial during its bungled 2019 probe into Logan Council.

The former mayor and seven councillors were charged with fraud, which lead to the council's dismissal before all prosecutions were discontinued almost two years later.

A Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee probe later found the watchdog failed to act "independently and impartially".

Mr Fitzgerald, who led the landmark 1989 inquiry into state government corruption that resulted in the establishment of the CCC, and former judge Alan Wilson headed the review.

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