Health cash gift ‘stolen’
By Charles Pitt,
Political Editor

Poor decision making by staff at the Ministry of Health’s administration office in Tupapa resulted in the disappearance of $1,680 donated by a visiting Health Nurse.
According to the 1st Quarter Report of the Audit Office for 1 July 2006 to 30 September 2006 tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, the money which was in $100, $50 and $20 notes. It was donated as a gift by Diane Hamilton, an Ear Nose and Throat Nurse from New Zealand.
She was in Rarotonga in September 2005 as part of the medical consultations funded by NZAid. It was to be used to assist with the airfares for outer islands patients to travel to Rarotonga.
It now appears the money has been stolen.
The casual way in which the money was handled by Health staff and the subsequent handling of the incident by management, who did not notify police, is mind boggling.
The cash was handed to Project Officer Helen Sinclair on 16 September 2005. At the donor’s request, Sinclair did not issue a receipt.
She handed it to finance officer Mata Taramai, who on instructions from senior finance officer Haumata Hosking, locked it in her (Taramai’s) cabinet. The Ministry safe was not used because its padlock was missing.
The money was then “forgotten.”
CLEANING
In January 2006, Taramai re-discovered the money while cleaning out her locked cabinet.
Hosking told her to hang onto it until accounts division had reconciled the Air Rarotonga accounts. However, on 12 April 2006 Taramai gave Hosking the money.
On 12 July 2006, Hosking gave the money to finance officer Vaine Ngatokorua and asked her to pay Air Rarotonga.
However, Ngatokorua said she was given the money by Hosking on 5 April 2006. She said that with Hosking looking on, she put the money in her unlocked desk draw and hid it among her files.
On 13 April she checked the money which was still there. When she returned from the Easter break on 18 April she did not check her drawer. On 19 April she checked her draw and found the money, which was in a brown envelope, had disappeared.
She failed to report its disappearance to the Secretary for Health immediately.
The Audit Office determined that the cash had sat in the unlocked drawer for 14 days (seven were working days).
When notified, the Secretary of Health decided to treat the matter “in-house” and not notify the police. Ngatokorua offered to repay the missing money.
PROCEDURES
Audit Office found the Ministry staff had not followed set financial procedures and reported the donation to Aid Management division.
Ministry management say Sinclair should have issued a receipt, banked the money and had a cheque issued to Air Rarotonga.
Audit Office has issued a number of recommendations for action and has asked Police to investigate the theft.
Ministry of Health management advised on 15 September that following a staff meeting it was agreed that each staff member (10 of them) would contribute to repaying the money.

Headlines : Times 181 18 Dec 2006
- Audit Shocks: Ex-Health boss overpaid $6000
- Health cash gift ‘stolen’
- $36,950 ‘FEES’: Dual roles a conflict of interest for chairman
- Slow progress with projects
- TIVAIVAI TALENT: Tungane Broadbent features in Brisbane
- Bridge work at O’oa, Matavera
- Cook Islands skater joins top team
- Agriculture reports funding surplus

Headlines : Times 180 11 Dec 2006
- Women wanted: Why this man’s here
- Nanette’s report top in the islands
- TOURISM BOOST
- GET READY RARO
- Puna on Wigmore It’s right decision
- Why Wigmore win struck out
- Students endure tough week
- GET WITH GAMES
- Lafala a name to celebrate