Otago healthcare officials guilty in fraud trial

The Otago District Health Board says it has nothing but contempt for two men who defrauded the hospital of $16.9 million.

The jury returned guilty verdicts last night against the board's former chief IT officer, Michael Swann aged 47 and Kerry Harford, 48, a surveyor.

The Crown told the High Court in Dunedin that the the pair set up a company and used 198 invoices to charge the DHB for technology-related services that were never provided.

Board chairman Richard Thomson says the money was stolen over seven years and deprived a lot of people of much-needed healthcare.

He says the men also deprived staff of desperately needed equipment.

Swann and Harford will be sentenced early next year.

- NEWSTALK ZB