Former Otago Health Board chief information officer Michael Swann has told a High Court jury today he considered $16 million the board paid for IT-related services between 2000 and 2006 was "entirely appropriate".
Swann (47) and a friend and business associate Kerry Harford (48) are accused of misappropriating $16.902 million from the board by using invoices from Sonnford Solutions, a company owned by Harford, to bill the board for services the Crown says were never provided.
Under cross-examination by Crown counsel Robin Bates in the trial before Justice Stevens and a jury, Swann said Dunedin Hopsital would have handled about $2.4 billion of funds during his time as chief information officer.
Some companies invested 10 percent in IT, some companies less.
And he said the hospital environment was highly dependant on crucial systems for clinicians and patient care so he considered all the IT expenditure over the period entirely appropriate.
Evidence in the trial is expected to be completed today.
