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The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has cleared former Hawke's Bay District Health Board member Peter Hausmann of any criminal wrongdoing relating to the board's awarding of health contracts.
Two other former members of the board, Diana Kirton and Helen Walker, complained to police in March, claiming Mr Hausmann
had abused the DHB's contracting process.
Mr Hausmann, who is also managing director of Healthcare NZ, was at the centre of a conflict of interest row that eventually tore the board apart and led to its sacking by Health Minister David Cunliffe.
Mr Hausmann has already been cleared by a Health Ministry-commissioned report of using his board position for the gain of Healthcare NZ.
The issues raised in the complaint have also been looked at by the Audit Office.
SFO director Grant Liddell today said the complaint had been referred to his office by police in May.
However, the SFO would not be investigating it further as "there was no basis for an investigation".
The complaint involved two allegations.
The first was that Mr Hausmann had been involved in inserting text into a "request for proposal" document the HBDHB was preparing in 2005 for the provision of in-home care.
The second was that Mr Hausmann did not declare his interest before a contract to provide training services was awarded by the DHB and the Social Development Ministry to another of his companies, Wellcare.
In relation to the first allegation, Mr Liddell said Mr Hausmann's dealings in proposing amendments did not involve any deception of the board or its officials.
"Moreover the decision to accept the proposed insertion was for the board and not something Mr Hausmann controlled."
No contract was ever let.
In relation to the second, Mr Liddell said Mr Hausmann had disclosed his interest in the company before the contract was let.
Mr Hausmann today welcomed the SFO's decision and blamed the complainants for wasting taxpayer money on an unnecessary investigation.
"For over a year I have been the target of almost continual attacks using a combination of false claims, innuendo and deeply damaging misreporting.
"However, three reviews - one by the Auditor-General, one by the Director-General of Health and now one by the Serious Fraud Office - have found I acted both ethically and legally in my dealings on the Hawke's Bay District Health Board."
The Health Ministry-commissioned report, released in March, slammed the former board for failing to properly manage conflicts of interest involving several members.
It found the relationship between board and management was "dysfunctional", the board meddled in operational matters, accepted little blame for problems and needed outside help to rectify its many problems.
The report cleared Mr Hausmann of using his board position for personal gain, but found he failed to fully disclose his "extensive prior involvement" in the community health tender process.
But it found board chairman Kevin Atkinson also knew of Mr Hausmann's involvement and failed to disclose it to the board.
- NZPA
