Waikato DHB now a cover-up scandal
24 October 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Taxpayers’ Union says Waikato District Health Board Chairman, Bob Simcock, must front up and confirm whether reports that the DHB agreed to stop an employment investigation into the financial irregularities of the former CEO, Nigel Murray, are true.

Stuff report that halting the investigation was part of an agreement to prevent further information being uncovered, and new allegations of deleted cell phone data have also emerged.

“What looked to be just an expense scandal, appears to have blown into an attempted cover-up going to the highest levels of the DHB,” said Jordan Williams, Executive Director of the Taxpayers’ Union.

According to media reports, Mr Murray's resignation was in exchange for the DHB to stop their employment investigation into the Chief Executive's finances.

“At the very moment the DHB should have been digging further, or even calling in the Police and auditors, they were apparently signing-off on a deal to cover it up . That would be a total abandonment of the governance role DHB members are there for.”

“If this allegation is true, Mr Simcock will know that there is no option but to resign, or be sacked by the incoming Government.”

In relation to the reports of data having been deleted from a telephone, Mr Williams said:

“Presumably the phone is owned by the DHB, so who has it now? Why hasn’t it been sent away for the data to be forensically recovered? Or was that all part of the alleged cover-up?”

ENDS

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