JUGGLED THE STAMPS

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 300, 19 December 1929, Page 8

JUGGLED THE STAMPS

LAND OFFICIAL'S LAPSE.

ACCUSED PLEADS GUILTY.

MAKES CLEAN BREAST,

The sum of £286 10/ was admittedly misappropriated by Richard James Lanigan, a clerk in the Auckland Lands and Survey Office, who was this morning committed by Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., for sentence at the Supreme Court. He was charged with having stolen that sum between November, 1926, and November, 1929. Chief Detective Hammond conducted the case for the police, and Mr. Sullivan appeared for the accused.

James P. Lane, accountant in the Lands and Survey Department, Auckland, said Lanigan had been a clerk in the- Auckland office since June, 1920, when he joined the Department. Accused had charge of certain duties that required the stamping and registering of certain documents, such as surrenders, advances, etc. Recently he admitted to witness that ho had misappropriated stamps to the value of about £30. Witness informed the chief clerk. Later accused produced about 400 documents that should have been stamped and registered but were not so dealt with. Forty of them should have been stamped to the value of about £2 each. The majority were about 10/ each. Witness made a thorough searcli of the office documents, and found that between November, 1920, and November, 1929 the total amount of misappropriation amounted to £286 10/. Witness produced a schedule, and said it was admitted by accused to be a correct account of the position.

To Mr. Sullivan: Accused' made tlie disclosures himself in the first instance. It was not true to say that tlie documents "were not hidden. They had been hidden. Accused produced them all himself, and gave every possible assistance in clearing things up.

Witness asked the Court if the Department could havo the documents in the case in order to havo them registered.

Mr. Hunt said he did not want them, and Detective Sergeant Hammond said he would see that the documents were handed over.

A Government audit inspector at Auckland stated that an audit showed defalcations as mentioned by the previous witness.

Accused admitted to witness that he had bought the necessary stamps at the stamp office with the cheques that were handed to him in each instance, and that he had resold them to a girl in the Lands Registration office and kept the proceeds. Detective Sergeant John Martin handed in a statement made by accused at the detective office, admitting the defalcations.

Accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.

Mr. Sullivan, .in asking for bail, pointed out that the long vacation of the Supreme Court was on, and it would be the end of January before accused could be sentenced.

His Worship granted bail in two sureties of £200.