The Swamp Report: May 2012

31 May 2012

Sensitive claims sent to branch offices - ACC

An article from the New Zealand Herald by Adam Bennett

Hundreds of sensitive ACC claims - those related to rape and other sexual abuse - have been transferred out of the corporation's Sensitive Claims Unit to case managers in regional branch offices, the corporation has said.
Claimant advocacy groups are shocked by the move they say was made without consultation and in some cases without fully informing claimants.
Claims related to rape and sexual abuse are managed by the standalone Wellington based Sensitive Claims Unit (SCU) because of their "highly personal nature", ACC says.
The corporation has been under fire since claimant Bronwyn Pullar revealed a privacy breach in which the ACC sent her a file identifying sensitive claimants. The breach also raised concerns that sensitive claims information was being shared with ACC staff outside the SCU.
But after weeks of rumours that some sensitive claims were being handled outside the unit, ACC claims management general manager Denise Cosgrove said 12 case managers from elsewhere in the corporation had been seconded to the SCU.
"These seconded staff were located throughout New Zealand, near to the approximately 250 clients with long-term sensitive claims they were looking after."
The case managers are in 12 regional offices and had been dealing with sensitive claims since last November.
Ms Cosgrove said all the seconded staff underwent intensive training in sensitive claims management, including training around preserving client privacy.
"In addition, access protocols were agreed for claims and no paper files were transferred," she said.
Ms Cosgrove said care was taken to ensure clients were properly advised of the change.
But ACC claimant advocates Denise Powell, of Acclaim Otago, and Auckland-based Kyle MacDonald, said they only became aware of the move after one claimant learned by accident her new case manager was based in a branch office.
"That was quite upsetting for her."
Ms Powell understood affected claimants were advised they had new case managers, "but ACC didn't necessarily state that their case manager was no longer based in Wellington".
"My understanding was the SCU was set up to be a stand-alone unit and was specifically isolated from the mainstream of ACC in order to ensure the utmost protection of those people's information and identity," she said.
Mr MacDonald, who is a member of the Sensitive Claims Advisory Group, which ACC regularly meets with, said the corporation never raised the change with his organisation. "The reality is 250 claimants are now being managed outside of the Sensitive Claims Unit in regional branches by case managers who are not sensitive claims specialists."

24 May 2012

ACC performance improvement continues

A press release from the New Zealand Government

Better performance in the ACC Non-Earners’ Account will free up $52.8 million of taxpayer funding in 2012/13, which will be returned to the Government, ACC Minister Judith Collins says. The Non-Earners’ Account covers claims for injuries to people not in the paid workforce, such as students, beneficiaries, retirees, and children. This account is funded by the Government using money collected through general taxation.
“Lower unemployment than previously forecast, fewer claims, improved rehabilitation rates, and on-going improvements to claims management have reduced the operating funding required in the Non-Earners’ Account by $52.8 million,” Ms Collins says. “I am pleased that over the past three years the financial performance of the corporation has strengthened. At the same time, ACC’s focus on rehabilitation has increased, helping claimants return to independence earlier.”
The number of people who have been off work for more than a year has dropped from 14,000 to 11,000 in the past three years.
“Improved financial performance is just one of several responsibilities ACC has to New Zealanders,” Ms Collins says. “ACC must also focus on preventing injuries and meeting the highest standards of best practice and service.
“Results from a March 2012 claimant satisfaction survey show 75 per cent of claimants are satisfied or very satisfied with the overall quality of ACC’s service. This is up from 65 per cent a year earlier.
“This Government is focusing on delivering better public services – and ACC is making good progress.
“However, these results do not reflect ACC’s most recent privacy breaches. I believe privacy and information security are the biggest issues facing ACC at present.
“At this stage, I am not yet satisfied ACC’s privacy provisions and protocols are appropriate, or are being complied with to the level they should be.
“We want an ACC system that delivers world-class services to the people and organisations that use it, and to the people and organisations that fund it. I look forward to further improvements from ACC,” Ms Collins says.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1205/S00423/acc-performance-improvement-continues.htm

21 May 2012

ACC privacy breach complaints pile up

An article from the Dominion Post by Jody O'Callaghan

A victim of several ACC privacy breaches has an increasing pile of apologies, but says nothing has changed since she requested action on the organisation's handling of personal information years ago.
The Government agency's privacy practices are under investigation by the Privacy Commissioner after it was revealed in March that it sent whistleblower Bronwyn Pullar 6500 clients' private details, including the names of victims of sexual abuse and other violent crime.
The commissioner is believed to have sent a letter to people who have made a complaint about the breaches, asking them to explain their preferred outcome and provide evidence about how they had been "significantly hurt".
But one complainant, a sensitive claims unit client, said in cases like this privacy laws were a "toothless wonder". She said a letter she received from the Privacy Commissioner's assistant commissioner of investigations, Mike Flahive, last week minimised the latest privacy breach. And she believed it invited her to direct the blame on Ms Pullar instead of the corporation. It "smacks of state bullying", she said. "Had they listened to the concerns of complainants way back, then we may not have been in the position we are in now."
She did not want compensation, just action.
An ACC spokesman said the corporation did not comment on individual claims.
The woman said ACC had dealt with "stacks" of her complaints about privacy breaches before, dating back to 2006 when it had first breached her privacy. She was tired of repeatedly getting letters that had "become meaningless and trite" and containing apologies.
Mr Flahive indicated in the letter that if ACC's information handling practices were not up to the expectations of the Privacy Act, it would be dealt with by "agreement with the commissioner". If an agreement could not be reached court action was possible.
The breach in question was at the "low end of potential breaches that occur in any agency" so in most cases an apology was appropriate, he said.
"However, there may well be exceptional cases where the hurt is truly significant and there is evidence in support."
A statement from the office of the Privacy Commissioner said about 75 letters had been sent out to those who had raised complaints about the disclosure of ACC material in March. The commissioner's office had to be satisfied that a privacy principle had been breached and that the complainant had suffered harm before finding an interference with privacy.
"In some cases, the harm might be a loss of dignity, humiliation or injury to feelings. The Privacy Act requires this harm to be 'significant'."
The process then looked at reconciliation – past settlements included an apology, an assurance an action would not recur, monetary compensation or smaller gestures, such as vouchers.

20 May 2012

When a secret is no longer a secret…

A blog post from Off the Couch by Kyle MacDonald

Recently I had an ACC claim. I strained some knee ligaments. Old injury, no problem, specialist appointment courtesy of the ACC, and after some appropriate exercise and a follow up appointment, all fixed.
If the file of that treatment got stolen, sent to someone in an email or otherwise treated carelessly, I would be angry. However I can guarantee I wouldn’t feel so ashamed I would want to die, frightened for my personal safety, or worried about being stigmatized by people who found out.
So it is a worrying start to the privacy investigation when the Assistant Privacy Commissioner has issued a letter reported on here saying things like this ...

Click here to read the rest of this post.

http://psychotherapy.org.nz/when-a-secret-is-no-longer-a-secret/

ACC boss fronts up on privacy breaches

A news report from TVNZ

The chief executive of ACC has spoken out this morning about the raft of complaints that have emerged about the organisation in recent months. It has been a year of controversies and complaints around ACC, with boss Ralph Stewart scrambling to apologise earlier this week following the latest privacy breach blunder, which ACC tried to keep private.
ONE News revealed on Wednesday that an ACC employee sent confidential account information on more than 100 clients to the wrong people. Accounts for overdue levies for 118 ACC clients were mixed up and sent to other clients by mistake last Friday. As a result, inquiries are being conducted by the Privacy Commissioner and the police.
Speaking on TV ONE's Q+A this morning, Stewart said today that he "wishes" that from tomorrow there would be no more privacy breaches but he knows it won't be. The key thing is to declare for ACC that no breaches is our objective".
On the Bronwyn Pullar case, where it was revealed in March that an ACC employee sent confidential details about 6000 clients to claimant Pullar, Stewart said the organisation is looking at the case. "We are managing her case as we can under legislation, and as carefully and sensibly as we can through ACC."
Stewart said the privacy breaches have to be put into context as the organisation handles 1.7 million claims per year. "I think a sense of context helps to understand the privacy issues... Bronwyn is one of 1.7million claims last year."
And while, he would not say what it would take for him to resign, Stewart stressed that privacy is just one of his responsibilities in a complex organisation, and remained optimistic about the public trust in the organisation.
"In terms of public trust and confidence, I believe that ACC has it."
"The buck stops with me," he said.
Stewart listed three areas that the organisation is focusing on to protect client privacy. "We've conducted a complete independent report, now half-way through. It's being conducted by KPMG as experts, and also has on the panel the ex-federal privacy commissioner out of Australia," Stewart told Q A host Paul Holmes this morning.
"It will be completed by June, it will be made public," he said.
"Secondly, in terms of privacy, I think one of the key influences of privacy is development of the digital age. As a consequence we're sending out more files electronically - i.e. attaching things to emails - so we've commissioned a second piece of work to look at the infrastructure at ACC and say 'how can we take this from where we are, in terms of client records and privacy, and take it to world's best practice."
Stewart adds that he has also commissioned "80 privacy champions out of the ACC network to constantly monitor, maintain and raise awareness for privacy in ACC."

18 May 2012

Sensitive ACC client files go missing

A report from 3 News by Charlotte Shipman

Sensitive information about ACC clients, who were rape and sexual assault victims, has been stolen after the ACC contractor who was entrusted with them packed them in a suitcase that was stolen from a bus.
We are calling her "Milly". She's a sexual abuse victim whose confidential ACC file has been stolen when it should have been safe. The file has details of her abuse and all her personal information. It has her home address – a fact she finds very frightening.
“I've got a family,” she says. “I've got babies.”
Her independent psychiatrist contracted by ACC had the files on an InterCity bus between Whanganui and Palmerston North last month. It was in a leopard-print trolley case along with six other sensitive ACC clients' files.
“We're talking about rape victims – victims of sexual abuse, victims of sexual violence,” says Palmerston North Women’s Centre advocate Rachel Buck.
The bag was put in the luggage compartment underneath the bus, but when the bus got to Palmerston North the bag wasn't there. It had been stolen, possibly at a stop in Feilding.
“Sensitive files, people's lives, shouldn't be placed into a leopard-skin trolley bag for starters,” says Ms Buck. "Sensitive information should be sitting in a locked briefcase on her lap on that bus.”
The psychiatrist told the police the same night the bag was stolen. But it was another three days before she told ACC. Two days after that she told the Medical Protection Society and the Privacy Commissioner. It was nearly a week after the file went missing that the psychiatrist told Milly.
“It's disgusting,” says Milly. “It's something that should never have happened.”
But privacy breaches are happening. In March, 6700 clients' details were sent to ACC claimant Bronwyn Pullar. An ACC employee mixed up the details of 118 clients and sent them to other clients a week ago.
In a statement a short time ago, ACC said the matter is currently under investigation as part of a wider review of all ACC privacy issues, including the transportation of files.

© 2012 MediaWorks TV

http://www.3news.co.nz/Sensitive-ACC-client-files-go-missing/tabid/423/articleID/254792/Default.aspx

ACC claimant angered by response to blunder

An article from the New Zealand Herald by Adam Bennett

ACC's Bronwyn Pullar email blunder was at the lower end of breaches for the individual claimants affected, the Privacy Commission says.
But one angry ACC client says the response minimises the distress caused by the breach. The woman's "sensitive claim" status - identifying her as a victim of rape or sexual abuse - was part of the information mistakenly emailed to Ms Pullar by an ACC manager last year.
The ACC claimant complained to the Privacy Commissioner after the privacy breach involving 6700 claimants was reported in March.
Yesterday, she received a response from assistant Privacy Commissioner Mike Flahive in which he noted the commission was investigating the breach and wider privacy issues at the corporation with the help of accounting firm KPMG and the former Australian Privacy Commissioner Malcolm Crompton.
But later in the letter, Mr Flahive appears to pre-empt the investigation's finding which are not due until June or July.
And while Ms Pullar reportedly described ACC's mistake in emailing her a spreadsheet containing the information about other claimants as New Zealand's "biggest-ever privacy breach", Mr Flahive didn't appear to agree.
"The disclosure of the small amount of information about you, to essentially one other person, is at the lower end of the potential breaches that occur in any agency," he told the claimant.
"The privacy breaches that are being investigated in this instance, while very concerning in an overall information handling context, involve the disclosure of mostly inoffensive information, albeit on a large scale."
Mr Flahive also noted the commission was investigating possible breaches of the Privacy Act by Ms Pullar as well as ACC and he asked the claimant to identify which of those two parties she was complaining against.
The claimant told the Herald she made the complaint because she was angry about what was the latest in a series of breaches of her privacy by ACC.
She was upset by the commission's response to her complaint. "I just feel that they've really minimised it."
She was not seeking compensation, but other claimants who contacted the Herald after the breach said they believed they should receive some.
But Mr Flahive indicated in his letter to the claimant that compensation was unlikely.
"Our experience is that in circumstances such as this data breach, it will be difficult for most subjects of the breach to show that they deserve substantial compensation."
Labour's ACC spokesman, Andrew Little, said he was surprised by Mr Flahive's comments. While most of the claimants affected were probably due no more than an apology, he believed those who had sensitive claims should be entitled to more.
"That is a massive breach of trust. They've been promised by ACC that sensitive claims information would be confined to a small group of specialist people and I think the privacy commissioner's simply wrong on that, and in understating the impact on those claimants of that breach."

17 May 2012

Judith Collins files defamation proceedings

A news report from Radio New Zealand

ACC Minister Judith Collins is moving ahead with a defamation case against two Labour MPs and has filed proceedings in the High Court.
The legal action centres on Ms Collins's claim that the pair defamed her on Radio New Zealand over comments about who leaked details about ACC claimant Bronwyn Pullar to the media.
Mr Little says he intends to cause Ms Collins the utmost inconvenience and embarrassment over what he calls her flimsy prosecution, including over how legal papers are served on him.
"I think that's going to be difficult for her because she can't serve me in Parliament and if she wants to come around home and cause an inconvenience there that'll be recorded on a digital camera, available for broadcast."
Mr Mallard has echoed Mr Little's approach and is also considering whether he records the serving of papers.
Radio New Zealand has not heard from Ms Collins' lawyers after initially being cited. Mr Little says this confirms to him that the case is political and not a serious piece of litigation.

Cost-cutting blamed for latest ACC privacy breach

A report from One News

A cost-cutting culture at ACC is being blamed for a series of privacy breaches involving client's personal information.
In the latest case, ONE News discovered an employee sent confidential account information on more than 100 clients to the wrong people. The accounts for overdue levies of the 118 ACC clients were mixed up and sent to other clients by mistake last Friday.
ACC chief executive Ralph Stewart fronted up to ONE News, saying he is "deeply apologetic".
It comes after another major privacy breach in March when an ACC employee sent confidential details about 6,000 clients to claimant Bronwyn Pullar.
"ACC is a repeat offender when it comes to these breaches of privacy," Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei told TV ONE's Breakfast. "Part of the problem is ACC is very focussed on cutting costs, getting people off ACC and reducing compensation to clients and not on providing a quality service to injured New Zealanders.
"That is a political decision made by the Minister and the chairman."
She said ACC Minister Judith Collins needs to intervene and not "take her hands off the issue again."
In a statement, Collins said she was unable to comment about the latest breach. "ACC's privacy processes are currently under investigation by the privacy commissioner so it is not appropriate," she said.

Defamation
ACC could face legal action over its latest breach of clients' privacy, a lawyer says. John Miller said this sort of situation seems to be becoming too frequent with ACC.
"This is not only a privacy breach, but this is, I think, defamatory material that's gone out that could affect people's credit," he said.
"ACC could defend a defamation suit by saying 'well, it's true,' but it may not be true, they may have got it wrong."
Labour's ACC spokesman Andrew Little says the blunder is unbelievable.
"With everything ACC has been through this year, you'd think that the one thing they'd be absolutely vigilant about is the information going out from them," Little said.
Each account contained the client's name, ACC number and how much they owe the corporation.
Stewart said the error is "deeply disappointing". In an email sent to staff yesterday, he blames the mistake on human error. ACC only admitted the error after ONE News obtained the email and started making inquiries.
Stewart admitted he would not have gone public and acknowledged the error if ONE News had not asked the question.
In two weeks ACC is meeting with major stake holders and independent auditors KPMG to address its problem with privacy.

Collins goes ahead with court action

An article from the New Zealand Herald by Adam Bennett

Justice Minister Judith Collins has initiated High Court defamation action against Trevor Mallard and Andrew Little but the two Labour MPs remain defiant, saying the case is unlikely to make it into the courthouse.
Ms Collins in March said she would sue the two MPs and Radio New Zealand for comments they made during an interview on the state broadcaster which linked her to the leak of a sensitive email to her from former National Party president Michelle Boag.
The High Court at Auckland yesterday confirmed proceedings against Mr Mallard and Mr Little had been filed on behalf of Ms Collins. However in a further sign Ms Collins has decided against suing Radio NZ, the broadcaster was not named in the papers.
Mr Mallard late yesterday confirmed he'd received a letter from Ms Collins' lawyers Morrison Kent informing him proceedings had been filed and asking him to co-operate in allowing papers to be served on him. "I see no reason to co-operate in what is clearly a vexatious action."
He did not believe a full court hearing on the matter would eventuate. "A substantive trial is exceptionally unlikely."
Mr Little also received a similar request which he said he would not co-operate with either. He was confident the matter would not go to trial.

15 May 2012

Collins' legal suit set to fail - Little

An article from the Taranaki Daily News by Lyn Humphreys

ACC Minister Judith Collins has no grounds to sue over the ACC leaks row, Labour ACC spokesman Andrew Little says. Mr Little, who is a lawyer, told the Taranaki Daily News while in New Plymouth that he had advice from four different lawyers that Ms Collins had no basis on which to attempt to sue him after comments he made to Radio New Zealand in the furore over the ACC leaks row.
In March Ms Collins sent letters to Radio New Zealand and Labour MPs Trevor Mallard and Andrew Little threatening defamation action over their comments made during an interview about an email written by former National Party president Michelle Boag in relation to ACC claimant Bronwyn Pullar. Ms Collins has stated neither she nor her office played any part in the release of the claimant's name to the media.
Mr Little said he had heard nothing from Mrs Collins since receiving the letter. "She's got to make the next move. Watch this space," he said.
A spokeswoman for Ms Collins said the minister was making "no comment whatsoever" on the defamation action.

10 May 2012

ACC doc gets apology for factual errors

An article from New Zealand Doctor by Katie Marriner

The medical advisor for the ACC sensitive claims unit has received an apology from a national newspaper after it published errors about his employment history.
Among other apologies, the correction stated that Peter Dodwell resigned as principal officer for the Civil Aviation Authority in 1998, not after an adverse 2001 report as the original story had said.
The correction was published on www.nzherald.co.nz at the end of a story published on 15 April.

Read the correction here.

02 May 2012

ACC cuts see woe for rape counselling

An article from the Southland Times by Gwyneth Hyndman

Southland's rape crisis centre continues to struggle to meet needs of sexual abuse victims since ACC cuts to funding for counselling services in 2009.
Centre manager Susana Lepoamo said referrals to the Invercargill centre – which serves the whole of Southland – had nearly doubled in 2010 as a result, with 173 referrals that year. Of these, 154 wanted counselling.
A waiting list for the long-term counselling that the crisis centre provided – a service ACC used to offer – was set up. With only two fulltime staff, this was a heavy load and it took time she said.
In the 2010-2011 year, referrals had dropped to 80, with 42 wanting counselling. The year to date – July 2011 till March 2012 – had 69 referrals for Southland.
The drop in referrals hadn't been analysed, but it was possible it was because there was still a waiting list for counselling services. Most referrals came from New Zealand Police or community agencies. A small percentage were self-referrals, many coming to the centre after the New Year when people were re-evaluating their lives, she said. "A waiting list for this is not ideal."
Education facilitator Natalie Bennie said survivors had counted on ACC support to provide longer support than what they were equipped to offer. The crisis centre offers 10 free sessions for victims. "Especially in the historical cases [of abuse] there is a social and emotional impact. They need time to resolve this."
The impact of long-term abuse could not be resolved in 10 sessions. "They can't just be dropped out in the cold."
Eventually, the board that oversaw the rape crisis centre wanted the services to be 50 per cent preventive services, she said. However the service was still centred on counselling services.
Ms Bennie said further strategic planning – including the gathering of Southland-specific statistics – was being done.
The centre had also seen a rise in referrals following youth-based initiatives in schools, such as the Breaking the Silence 2010 pilot initiative. Another initiative in schools was planned for the winter, she said.
Centre services in Invercargill began in 1981 with a Women's Supportline Southland – a telephone service staffed by volunteers working from their homes.
The service evolved into the Rape and Abuse Support Centre Southland and began a service to male abuse victims in 2009.

01 May 2012

Collins must clarify ACC complaint

A press release from the Green Party

ACC minister Judith Collins must explain why ACC complained to the Police over the mass leaking of privacy information to Bronwyn Pullar, Green Party ACC spokesperson Kevin Hague said today.
The published transcript of a recorded meeting between Ms Pullar, Michelle Boag, and two ACC managers, does not show that Ms Pullar made the comments that ACC has complained to the police about.
Despite being given the recording, ACC has not dropped its complaint and the Prime Minister has suggested the recording may not be completely accurate.
“If Ms Collins has been told by ACC that the recording has been changed, or is not a full recording of the meeting, she needs to tell us that,” Mr Hague said.
“None of this is subject to sub-judice rules. Ms Collins needs to establish and make public exactly how ACC”s decision to make a complaint to Police came about.
“In particular we need to know whether ACC chairman John Judge was responsible for the police complaint, through his overall responsibility as Chair, or whether he was more directly involved.
“If the recording is accurate then ACC’s claims about Ms Pullar are wrong, and Ms Collins must demand immediate answers from her officials and retract the police complaint.
“If she believes the recording is doctored in some way she must say so.
“Whatever actually happened, this raises serious issues of integrity and honesty at a very senior level in the public service.”

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1205/S00005/collins-must-clarify-acc-complaint.htm

Pullar claims recording shows ACC lied

An article from the New Zealand Herald by Adam Bennett

Former National Party insider Bronwyn Pullar made a recording of her December meeting with ACC officials which she claims shows the corporation lied about her using a privacy breach as leverage for financial gain.
Police are investigating ACC's allegations that during the meeting, Ms Pullar attempted to secure a two-year benefit in exchange for the return of sensitive information about 6500 other claimants mistakenly sent to her by an ACC employee in August last year.
Ms Pullar's support person at the meeting was her friend and former National Party president Michelle Boag.
Ms Pullar, who has previously said she used stealth software to track emails she sent to ACC, yesterday revealed she made a recording of the meeting with senior ACC managers Philip Murch and Hans Verberne.
That recording showed that, "neither Michelle Boag nor I threatened to withhold details of a mass privacy breach and go to the media if I did not get a guaranteed two-year benefit payment", she said.
Ms Pullar also said the recording shows ACC's account of what was said at the meeting regarding details of the privacy breach and how it occurred was also incorrect.
However Ms Pullar refused to release the recording or a transcript, saying it contained sensitive personal health information.
In an extract of the transcript published yesterday, Ms Boag is quoted as saying: "I don't want to see headlines criticising the minister and the Government for things that have taken place ... And as I say, I mean we are all supportive of this Government. We do not want to see them embarrassed."
Yesterday, Ms Pullar said ACC had published the account of the meeting in which the extortion allegations were made without asking her and Ms Boag if there was any truth to them.
She had given ACC chief executive Ralph Stewart and others at the corporation the opportunity to listen to the recording.
"Despite ACC having heard a full recording of the meeting they have refused to correct their blatant lie, which continues to smear my reputation and Michelle Boag's."
But Labour's ACC spokesman Andrew Little said irrespective of what happened in the meeting, ACC had still asked for the information to be returned and Ms Pullar had not met that request until the story went public in March.
Mr Little said Ms Boag's subsequent email to ACC Minister Judith Collins after the story of the privacy breach broke clearly suggested some kind of deal had been discussed.
"Even if it wasn't about two years of entitlements, clearly some sort of arrangement was being talked about that was some sort of quid pro quo.
"Today's story, if it does anything, just confirms that the ACC officials may have misled the minister in their report, but it doesn't remove any of the cloud of doubt about the actual nature of the conversation that some deal was being struck to return information that she shouldn't have ever had in the first place."
Mr Little said the report highlighted the need for the various official inquiries into the matter "to hurry up and get on with the job, get some conclusions from some credible sources that we can start to see where the truth might actually lie".
However, Green Party ACC spokesman Kevin Hague said the public would have got the impression from ACC that Ms Pullar went into the December meeting demanding two years' compensation and threatening all sorts of consequences, "and very clearly that didn't occur in that meeting".
Mr Hague said the fact that ACC didn't refer the matter to the police immediately "gives rise to the suspicion that the complaint was essentially designed as a diversion from the scrutiny on its own actions".
"That suspicion is given added weight by the revelations today."
Neither Ms Collins nor ACC would comment on the report yesterday, saying it was not appropriate to do so given the matter was under investigation by various authorities.