MISSING MONEY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 208, 2 September 1926, Page 11

MISSING MONEY.

FROM EQUITY COURT. — > OFFICIAL "DISAPPEARS. ar. (From Oar Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, August 15. The mysterious disappearance of an officer of the Equity Court recently, and the discovery of shortages in accounts amounting to about £6900 have revealed one of the most remarkable cases that the Sydney police have been called upon to investigate. An extraordinary feature of the case is that the supposed embezzlements have extended over a period of several years, but it was not until a few months ago, following upon a cloee scrutiny of the books, that they were detected. The .'showed that the accounts "had been so . J cleverly manipulated that they had • I escaped the auditors' notice, and in this l I manner large sums of money were being • continually taken. , The miesing moneys had been paid by ' the litigants and others to the Master; r in Equity in the ordinary way. , Not until May last were the ehortagee \ discovered. The Public Service Board I was notified, and as a result an officer i was suspended, pending further inveetii : gations. t Official Disappears. The next development was the sadden f disappearance of the officer. On May 28 3 he left hie home, intimating that he was 1 leaving Sydney for Melbourne. The services of the police were sought • by the Crown Law Department, and about four weeks ago a warrant was issued f o* I the arrest of the missing official. • Despite the vigilant search, the where* fc abouts of the officer have not yet been • I discovered. Every avenue of investigaI 1 tion has been explored, but without t J any evidence of the missing nan's r i mente. 5 ' A warrant for the arrest of the man 1 charges him with embezzling, whilst • 1 public servant, the sum of £520. ' r