WELLINGTON, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Kerry Gregory, chief executive of Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ), resigned on Friday after the country's internal affairs minister publicly withdrew her confidence in him.
FENZ board chairperson Raveen Jaduram announced the resignation, saying Gregory had decided it was untenable to remain in the role following Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden's recent statement, Radio New Zealand (RNZ) reported.
Van Velden withdrew her confidence in Gregory on Sept. 17, accusing him of withholding significant information from her for a year and describing his conduct as a "serious breach of trust," RNZ reported.
The agency has confirmed that a historical matter concerning the administration of its levy scheme was referred to the Serious Fraud Office. FENZ receives most of its funding through levies on insurance policies covering property and vehicles, according to the report.
The resignation followed Gregory's extended leave for more than a month, the report said. ■
