The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) raided the Northern Land Council (NLC) in Darwin and Anindilyakwa Land Council (ALC) on Groote Eylandt as part of separate corruption investigations.

Jessie Schaecken, the acting Chief Executive of the NLC, has told reporters that search warrants were executed at NLC offices on Monday and Tuesday last week. 

Schaecken said the raid related to her earlier report concerning suspected corrupt conduct by a former NLC employee.

“The NLC is committed to integrity and transparency, which is why I made the initial referral to the NACC,” Schaecken said. 

In June, the NLC was questioned in a Senate estimates hearing regarding alleged misuse of COVID-19 stimulus funds. It is unclear if the current NACC probe is connected to these allegations.

The NACC raided the ALC's offices on Wednesday, focusing on former CEO Mark Hewitt. The newly elected ALC board held an urgent meeting the same day and decided to dismiss Hewitt. 

Following the raids, Victorian Senator Lidia Thorpe reiterated her call for a federal inquiry into Aboriginal land councils.

“Seeing land councils get raided like this only creates ammunition for them to be attacked and discredited, which undermines self-determination,” she said. 

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