Napier City Council is saying little about the departure of its economic development manger, Ron Massey.
Mr Massey had been on leave since last month and the council confirmed he had left the organisation as of Monday.
"Ron Massey no longer works for Napier City Council. We do not discuss employment matters," council chief executive Wayne Jack said, declining to answer further queries about Mr Massey's departure.
Mr Massey was a director of Nature Green (NZ) Ltd, a charitable company set up in 2006 as a fundraiser for disabled people.
It sold ginkgo trees to growers and bought back the leaf for use in alternative medicines popular in Asia.