FRAUD CHARGES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 208, 3 September 1934, Page 8

FRAUD CHARGES.

REBATES ON PETROL. CONSPIRACY ALLEGED. TOVTt MEN IN THE BOCK. A grocer, a labourer, a fisherman and a storeman appeared together in the dock in the Police Court this morning <ni a series of conspiracy and fraud charges. Mr. W. R. MeKean, S.M., presided, and Senior Detective Hall prosecuted. Charles Joseph De Luca, aged 37, grocer, was charged that on July 16 he conspired with Raymond Brunton. aged -7, fisherman, by "deceit, to obtain the sum of 10/S from the Postmaster- • ■'cneral; on January 23, conspired with -Tohn_ Buchan, by deceit, to obtain £6 -73 from the Postmaster-General; and on April 11, conspired with Leslie Collier JSuchan, by deceit, to obtain £4 10/S from the Postmaster-General. The two Buehans and Brunton were also charged with conspiring with De Luca. De Luca was further charged, on October 19, 1933, with obtaining £2 IS/8 from the Postmaster-General bv falsely representing that he had supplied 204 gallons of motor spirit at different times in July, August and September, 1933, to Olaf Arstin, and, on November 16, 1933, with' obtaining from the Postmaster- • ieneral £3 7/ by falsely representing that he had supplied 752 gallons of motor spirit in August and September, 1933, to Pedro Cordova. De Luca and Leslie Collier Buchan, 22, storeman, were jointly charged, on July •">, with conspiring together by deceit to obtain £2 8/ from the Postmaster(Jeneral, and further, that on April 11, with making a claim to a refund of £4 10/8, paid in respect of 136 gallons of motor spirit, which was false, and, on July 5, with making a claim to a refund of £2 8/, in respect of 72 gallons of motor spirit, which was also false. John Buchan, aged 51, labourer, was jointly charged with De Luca, on October 9, with conspiring together by deceit to obtain £3 14/8 from the PostmasterGeneral. Both were further charged with making a claim, on the same date, to a refund of £3 14/8 in respect of 112 gallons of motor spirit, which was false, i:nd with a similar offence, on Januarv 23, in respect of £6 2/8 paid for 184 gallons, this also being false. Mr. J. J. Sullivan appeared for De Luca, Leslie Collier Buchan and John JUichan, while Mr. W. Noble represented Brunton'.

(Proceeding.)