TAX REFUNDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 256, 29 October 1934, Page 8

TAX REFUNDS.

* CONSPIRACY CHARGE. FOUR MEN ON TRIAL CONSUMPTION OF PETROL, Three fishermen and a- storekeeper were placed in the dock of the Supreme Court, before Mr. Justice Herdman and a jury, this morning, to answer a charge of conspiracy against the Crown in obtaining by deceit excessive rebates on petrol under the Motor Spirits Taxation Act. The accused were Charles Joseph De Luca, storekeeper, of Pitt Street; and Raymond Brunton, Leslie Collier Buchan and John Buchan. Mr. J. J. Sullivan appeared for De Luca, and Mr. W. Noble for the three fishermen. ■

The Motor Spirits Taxation Act, said Mr. V. R. Meredith, Crown Prosecutor, provided for a rebate of Bcl a gallon on spirit used by fishermen, and the allegation against the four accused, with De Luca as the principal, was that they conspired to obtain a refund on quantities of fuel in excess of what they had used, by presenting false vouchers. The case was mainly one of figures.

Mr. Meredith proceeded to point out discrepancies in the quantities of petrol on which refunds had been claimed and the amounts which had'been supplied by the oil companies. In regard to Brunton, the disparity was not very great, application being made in regard to 32 gallons, whereas it was alleged that only l(i gallons had been supplied. Mr. .Meredith said evidence would be given that on an order being received from De Luca If! gallons or benzine were sent to the Great Barrier, where Bruntoil's boat was.

Other Charges. In the case of John Buclian and De Luca, a claim had been made for a refund on 200 gallons, whereas it was alleged that only SS had been supplied by the companies. That was for the quarter ending September, 1933. In the next quarter the claim was made for 424 gallons, and the amount supplied was 204. In the other Brunton's case the claim was made for 490 gallons, and 300 gallons was supplied in one quarter, and in the next the discrepancy was 73 gallons. There were further charges against De Luca alone, added Mr. Meredith, in connection with two other fishermen. In the case of a man named Arstin there was a discrepancy of 88 gallons. Finally, in the fuel supplied to another fisherman named Cordova it was alleged that only 44 gallons had been supplied, and that a refund on 192 gallons had been claimed. Evidence was given by Jack Prescott, postmaster at Auckland West, of the procedure in making rebates, and the applications for refund that had been made by the accused.

Alfred Cameron, chief clerk of the Vacuum Oil Company, stated that his firm received orders from De Luca to supply fishermen. When the witness was detailing the amounts that had been supplied on various dates, and Mr. Meredith mentioned the different quantity on which rebate had been claimed, Mr. Sullivan commented, "Our defence is that we bought the rest from another dealer in the city."