SFO closes Murray probe
Continuing inquiry against former DHB chief ‘not in public interest’
The Serious Fraud Office won’t pursue criminal charges against former Waikato District Health Board chief Dr Nigel Murray over his alleged misuse of public money.
SFO director Julie Read said committing additional “very high level of resources required to prove criminal charges beyond reasonable doubt was not in the public interest”.
Read said it would have required an extensive investigation in Canada and the public interest did not warrant that cost given the amounts allegedly obtained.
A former DHB member has criticised the decision, saying the expenditure involved public money and someone needed to be held accountable.
Murray resigned in October 2017. A State Services Commission inquiry released in March 2018 showed he spent $218,000 on travel and accommodation in the three years he held the $560,000 job, half of which was either unauthorised or unjustified.
The case was referred to the SFO and it took the unusual step of releasing a statement yesterday announcing it would not investigate further.
However, Read said the SFO concurred with the conclusions reached by the SSC about Murray’s conduct.
“The SSC investigation found Dr Murray’s conduct did not meet the
minimum standards expected of him as a CEO in the state sector, and that more than half of his travel and accommodation expenses were unauthorised or unjustified.”
The SSC report found Murray’s actions were “serious and sustained breaches of the State Sector Code of Conduct”.
The four-month inquiry, ordered by Minister of Health David Clark after Murray’s expense receipts became public following repeated media requests, found Murray’s conduct fell short of what is required of a statesector leader and that oversight of his expenses by the former board chairman Bob Simcock lacked rigour.
The investigation found Murray had unjustifiably spent $120,608.
At the time, Commissioner Peter Hughes was highly critical of Murray.
“This is hard-earned taxpayer money, and I think Dr Murray’s behaviour is an affront to the taxpayers of New Zealand.”
At the time, Murray’s lawyers said they had made a complaint to the Privacy Commission about the lack of documents provided to them about the investigation.
“It is our advice to Dr Murray that the processes of the SSC investigation are not fair and are, in our view, not lawful.
“Dr Murray has accepted that advice, and for that reason believes that participating in this investigation at this stage will place him in unknown jeopardy.”
Former Waikato DHB board member Dave Macpherson yesterday criticised the SFO’s decision.
“To say that [it’s] too small of an amount to go after him for seems entirely the wrong message. It’s public money and how is anyone being held accountable?”