THEFTS FROM TREASORY

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 259, 1 November 1932, Page 8

THEFTS FROM TREASORY

SENTENCE OF HARD LABOUR. REPORT OF FIJI AUDITOR. LAX METHODS DISCLOSED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SUVA, October 27. Hugh Neville Reay, who. had been paying teller at the Treasury for some two years, and pleaded guilty at the special eessione of the Criminal Court to charges of misapplying public moneys, was sentenced to 18 months' hard labour. His accounts showed a deficit of £705. There were originally 22 charges, but as

he pleaded to three of them the others' were dropped. The acting-Chief Justice, in sentencing Reay, said that the crime was a serious one, extending over a considerable period, and worse etill was the fact that by his silence for six monthe grave euspicion was caet. over his fellow officers in the Treasury Because of this case, special attention has been directed to the report of the audit officer on the Treasury, juet presented to the Legislative Council. In that report it is stated: "Errors observed in examination in addition disclose arithmetical errors, absence of signatures on vouchers, deficiencies in

authority references, vouchers missing, declarations unattested, vouchers unreceipted, errors in schedules and posting. The number of misallocations revealed by audit examination and admitted was phenomenal and suggests that insufficient scrutiny is being given to vouchers in the Treasury."

"A very damning report," said one member.