PREMIER TO BE INDICTED

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25364, 11 December 1947, Page 7

PREMIER TO BE INDICTED

TASMANIAN CHARGES OF BRIBERY JUDGE ENDS ROYAL COMMISSION (Rec. 9 p.m.) HOBART. December 10. The Premier of Tasmania (Mr R. Cosgrove) will be indicted on a charge relating to an allegation that he received £5400 from four road service operators. This announcement was made by Mr Justice Reed when he terminated the Royal Commission which has been inquiring into the allegations against Mr Cosgrove. Mr Justice Reed said that he expressed no opinion as to the truth or falsity of the charges against the Premier. who is alleged to have received money in exchange for an assurance that certain road transport in Tasmania would not be nationalised. Mr Cosgrove, who was born in 1884 and entered Parliament in 1919, has been Labour Premier of Tasmania since 1939. The judge explained that if evidence were taken from the Premier before a Royal Commission, he would be answering a charge made in certain circumstances, which might be prejudicial

to him in that a conclusion as to hie innocence or guilt would be arrived at otherwise than by the verdict of a jury. In view of these considerations the judge had taken the course of recommending to the Attorney-General that it would be more satisfactory if an indictment were filed against the Premier. As the evidence given by a transport operator, J. T. Sullivan, was of such a character as might Incriminate him. and as his evidence was vital, the judge recommended to the AttomayGeneral that a pardon in respect of any offences they might have committed in respect of the subject matter of the inquiry be granted Sullivan and three other operators. In the House of Assembly the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Ned Campbell) later called on the Premier to resign. Mr Cosgrove said that he proposed to carry on until such time as the findings of the Court were known. ~ JS ltal is!ue in thc «« is that if Mr Cosgrove resigns or is deposed, an election will be forced with the probability' of an Opposition success. This would make the Australian States four to two against the Federal Government’s bank nationalisation plans.

Resignation Expected The political crisis in Tasmania may wJS? a a C .L*"S. X bef< ? re the end <* th “ week with the resignation of Mr R. Cosgrove s Labour Ministry. Political experts base this opinion on tne assumption that after the Governor J? u «h Binney) has examined the report of the Royal Commission (Mr Jushce Reed) he will propose a consultation with the Premier. -, ln re P<“t the judge rays that established in evidence legallv admissible might constitute an offence against the criminal code. It is unlikely that the trial of Mr Cosgrove wdl be opened before the Christmas vacation. The Government is passing through cris i s . sinc « Labour m*?ce i” Tasmania in 18*4. With a majority of one on the floor of the hkeiv toe Government 1. likely to be further embarrassed if a labour member, Mr R. J? Turnbun °* his threat to join the In-d-pendent group. To carry on in such G 7C crnmcnt would ?^ e « t % depend on the v °te of one & e o n u d nc n il and faCe a h ° Stile Le « ia,a -