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The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has sanctioned recruits and staff who breached coronavirus social-distancing rules but none, so far, has lost their job over the incident.
Key points:
- Recruits investigated after throwing a party in early April
- Two cadets received 'show cause' notices
- Commissioner says internal investigation now finalised
Speaking at a Senate inquiry into COVID-19, Reece Kershaw was asked about recruits who were caught having a late-night party in early April.
He said 76 people were investigated over the incident.
"Of those, 53 have had sanctions against [them], two were also given show-cause notices, which is pretty serious," he said.
"Whilst [the two] haven't lost their jobs, they have been given sanctions and the internal investigation is finalised."
But a source close to the investigation has told the ABC that number also included staff who were later sanctioned over the incident, and for other instances when the social-distancing rules were breached.
The figure, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the highest-ranking person implicated in the sandal was at superintendent level.
AFP sources said they did not believe this was the last of the scandal, confirming dismissals were still being considered.
The ABC approached the AFP for confirmation of the allegations and was referred by a spokeswoman to the Commissioner's statement to the inquiry.
Show-cause notices require individuals to explain in writing why disciplinary action, including loss of employment, should not be taken against them.
The trainees were reported after throwing a party at their residential college in Canberra at the beginning of April.
Confirmation of the AFP's investigation came after the ABC obtained video of the event, taken by a neighbour.
The Commissioner said all 53 also had to individually respond to questions from his office about their behaviour.
"They know our expectations and how disappointed we were."
Several AFP sources told the ABC at the time that some members of the group reacted badly when confronted by ACT Police about their actions, saying they believed they could party as they all lived in the same accommodation.
The trainees who attended the noisy gathering in breach of the coronavirus regulations are enrolled in a course for prospective protective service officers.
