The Serious Fraud Office has closed its investigation into former Waikato District Health Board chief executive Dr Nigel Murray, saying the cost of continuing it is not warranted.
Dr Murray was CEO at the DHB from July 2014 until October 2017, when he resigned while an investigation into his spending was taking place.
In March last year the State Services Commission found that 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 matter was referred to the Serious Fraud Office to investigate whether there had been any wrongdoing of a criminal nature.
The SFO announced this afternoon that its Director, Julie Read, has closed the investigation "having determined that committing the additional very high level of resources required to prove criminal charges beyond reasonable doubt was not in the public interest".
"The furtherance of this investigation to obtain evidence sufficient to satisfy the criminal standard of proof would have required extensive investigations in Canada and the public interest did not warrant the expenditure required given the total quantum of the amounts allegedly obtained," the SFO said in a statement.
The SFO said it noted that Dr Murray’s conduct has already been subject to an employment investigation by the Waikato District Health Board in 2017, and an investigation commissioned by the State Services Commission in 2018.
The SSC investigation found that 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 Serious Fraud Office said.
The SFO said it concurs with the conclusions reached by the State Services Commission about Dr Murray’s conduct.
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