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Former Waikato DHB head's spending referred to Serious Fraud Office

March 22, 2018

State Services commissioner Peter Hughes said Dr Murray claimed reimbursements worth hundreds of thousands that he wasn't entitled to.

The "unjustified" spending of Waikato District Health Board's former Chief Executive Dr Nigel Murray has been referred to the Serious Fraud Office.

A report released today by the State Services Commissioner Peter Hughes has found more than half of the $218,209 travel, accommodation and expenses claims made by Dr Murray during his tenure didn't fit the criteria of the DHB's spending allowances.

"The investigation report shows Dr Murray spent public monies on private travel and made claims for the reimbursement of expenses he was not entitled to claim for," Mr Hughes said.

Dr Murray was Chief Executive at the DHB from July 2014 until October 2017, when he resigned while an investigation was taking place.

Health Minister David Clark then formally requested the State Services Commission carry out its own inquiry.

The investigation also found issues with the Waikato DHB's governance.

The Board did not carry out "checks and balances", which allowed Dr Murray's "unauthorised and unjustified" spending to continue without being addressed.

The Board also failed to undertake a check with his previous employer, which may have raised a red flag.

Of the public money spent, the report found:

- $101,161 did not meet the DHB's standards for appropriate authorisation.

- $120,608 spent on items were unjustified under the Auditor General's guidelines.

- $74,265 of spending by Dr Murray was identified as personal expenditure requiring reimbursement. $19,434.06 of that amount remains in dispute.

Dr Murray declined to be interviewed by the report authors.

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