FRAUD CHARGES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 21, 25 January 1934, Page 9

FRAUD CHARGES.

MANAGER IN COURT. NATIVE RELIEF OFFICER. CROWN'S ALLEGATIONS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) GISBORNE, this day. Charles Goldsmith appeared before Mr. E. L. Walton, S.M., in the Police Court tliis morning to answer a number of charges in connection with his duties as certifying officer under the Unemployment Act.

Accused, who is manager of the Waiapu Farmers' Co-operative Company at Tikitiki, and was appointed certifying officer for the Native Department s unemployment relief schemes early in 1932, appeared on 10 charges, eight of obtaining sums of money from the Government with intent to defraud by means of false pretences, and eight ot makin"* false entries in material particulars °in certificates of the completion of work under the native unemployment 6C The Crown Prosecutor, Mr. F. W. Holan, had charge of the prosecution, Mr. A. A. Whitehead appeared for the accused, and Mr. L. T. Burnard watched proceedings on behalf of the W aiapu Farmers' Co-operative Company. The Crown Prosecutor, after describing accused's duties as certifying officer, asserted that the practice followed by accused was to inflate the cost of a iob by the amount of the loan money repayable to the Government by the owner of the property on which the work was to be done. For example, in a job to cost £40, £10 might be loan money. Accused would inflate the contract, and the balance would be refunded to the Government as repayment of the loan. The refund actually, therefore, was provided bv the Government itself. 11l some cases it would be shown that native labourers had not been paid cash, but that tlw money went to the Waiapu Farmers' Company to reduce the labourers' indebtedness.

(Proceeding.)