Two Hawke's Bay nurses will face scrutiny from a professional conduct committee, after they refused to explain large transactions of cash.
Mother and daughter Barbara Daleszak and Natalie Daleszak, both nurses currently employed by the Hawke's Bay District Health Board (DHB), became the subject of an investigation in April 2013, after their bank alerted police to large cash transactions in their accounts.
The transactions occurred after Barbara and husband Robert were charged with drug offences. In March 2011, police found a cannabis-growing operation in their Wairoa home with a street value between $57,000 and $95,000. Robert pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis, while Barbara was charged with allowing the property to be used for cultivation, but was discharged at trial. Kiwibank informed police that, a fortnight after the drugs charges, Barbara made two withdrawals totalling $165,000.
A few weeks later, they sold their house to Natalie for $120,000. The day before the house sale went through, $61,255 was also deposited into Natalie's bank account. She refused to tell police who gave her the money. Police discovered Barbara and Robert held 16 bank accounts and had saved $116,770 between 2007 and 2011. All three Daleszaks were interviewed about this in April 2013. The mother and daughter were later charged and pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to comply with an examination made under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act.
Judge Bridget Mackintosh refused to discharge them without conviction, and in a recent decision, Justice Patrick Keane dismissed their appeal.
