The Ministry of Health says its former chief nurse appears to have chartered a leisure yacht at ministry expense without authorisation.
The ministry has declined to comment until now on the sudden departure of Mark Jones who resigned just before Christmas.
But it has now confirmed that he chartered a yacht in the Bay of Islands following a conference of nurses in December 2008.
It says the charter cost $1250, which was unauthorised and must be repaid.
The ministry says it will now widen an investigation into his spending.
