The Western Australia Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) tabled a report on 12 March 2019 detailing alleged misconduct by Craig Steven Peacock, the state’s representative in Tokyo. The Commission estimated the taxpayer cost at more than $500,000, while saying the total was unknown. These are findings and claims in an integrity-agency report, not a court conviction.
What the report concerned
Peacock represented the Western Australian Government in Tokyo for 17 years. The CCC described him as a senior, trusted public servant with substantial discretion and limited supervision. He was employed by the Department of Premier and Cabinet until responsibility moved to the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation in 2017.
The CCC said his employment as Commissioner for WA was terminated on 1 February 2019 for misconduct. Its report described alleged use of the position to enrich himself, benefit friends and cover up an incident. The report’s cover date is 12 March 2019. The Commission’s publication page identifies the posted version as updated 12 November 2025; readers can consult the CCC report publication page or the report PDF.
What the CCC said the report covered
- Cost-of-living allowances: The Commission said Peacock authorised claims and payments over a decade totalling nearly $500,000.
- Utilities and storage: The CCC said he received $65,000 in reimbursements to which he was not entitled under his contract.
- Club expenses: The report addressed reimbursement of membership in the Tokyo Beefsteak and Burgundy Club.
- Official passport: The Commission said an official passport was misused for travel to China to attend a club convention.
- Taxes: The report addressed non-payment of taxes in Australia or Japan since at least 2010.
The West Australian’s contemporaneous account also summarized the report’s account of an alleged drink-driving crash in a state-leased car that went unreported. That account, too, should be understood as conduct described in the report, not as an independently adjudicated fact. The CCC’s 12 March 2019 release provides the Commission’s summary.
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How much did the alleged conduct cost taxpayers?
The CCC’s written release put the estimated taxpayer cost at “in excess of $500,000” and said, “The total figure is unknown.” It separately described nearly $500,000 in allowance claims and payments and $65,000 in utility and storage reimbursements. These are case-specific amounts cited by the Commission, not a measure of the prevalence of corruption in public service.
At a media conference on 12 March 2019, CCC Commissioner John McKechnie was quoted by The West Australian as saying: “His corrupt behaviour over at least a decade has cost West Australian taxpayers over $600,000 and counting.” That is a separately attributed statement reported by the newspaper, not the same formulation as the CCC’s written estimate. The two figures should not be combined into a single definitive total.
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What the report does—and does not—establish
The report is an account by the CCC, an integrity agency, of its investigation and conclusions. It is not itself a criminal conviction or a judicial determination of guilt. The sources cited here do not establish whether Peacock was later charged, prosecuted, convicted or subject to further employment action; no later outcome should be inferred from the report or the termination notice.
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