Corruption chief urges South Australian public servants who suspect graft to come forward TAKING OFFICE: New ICAC commissioner Bruce Lander, QC. SOUTH Australia's 80,000 public servants have been warned they must comply with new directions and guidelines for reporting suspected corruption, or face disciplinary action. The warning from Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Bruce Lander, QC, comes less than a week before he starts examining the first allegations already reported to his office. The warning is in his official Directions and Guidelines manifesto, which was circulated this week in preparation for next Monday's opening of the Office For Public Integrity - the gatekeeper for the new anti-corruption body. The 70-page document details the legal reporting obligations of every public inquiry agency, authority and public officer, the various types of corruption they must report and how they must report it. READ ALSO: Premier names Bruce Lander as ICAC The content of the document was discussed at length with the Ombudsman, the Police Ombudsman and Police Commissioner and circulated for comment by other public authorities while being drafted. The message in the document to SA's public servants is direct and blunt and even includes a section that interprets "suspicion" of corrupt behaviour. "I thought they needed to know unambiguously what their obligations are," Justice Lander said yesterday. More particularly, I wanted public authorities to bring to the attention of their officers their obligations so if any conduct of a kind that I should be inquiring into is known to people, it is brought to my attention. It is meant to be a clear instruction to those to whom it relates that the Office of Public Integrity is the place to go to report conduct of a kind the Act addresses and to do it as soon as possible. The Directions and Guidelines document also highlights sections of the ICAC Act concerning the making of false or malicious reports of corruption - including highlighting that the penalty for doing so is a $10,000 fine or two years imprisonment. Justice Lander said while he did not see this as a potential issue, he was "keen to ensure" those who came forward "made truthful complaints" for several reasons. "First that would put us to work that we need not do and second, it causes reputational damage to other people," he said. Justice Lander said he had already received two matters for investigation from Ombudsman Richard Bingham, which had been referred to him under the Act. While he would not elaborate, they are understood to be cases involving the controversial Mt Barker land rezoning and the Port Adelaide-Enfield Council. He said other matters had also been referred to the OPI and the project team and would also be examined from Monday. "I don't really know what to expect on Monday as to what interest there will be generally in the office, but we hope we are ready for whatever the level is," he said. Justice Lander said recruiting appropriate staff was still underway. An assessments manager for the OPI is yet to be appointed, along with more investigators and an educational officer and support staff.