MALPRACTICE ALLEGED

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29220, 2 June 1960, Page 14

MALPRACTICE ALLEGED

Works Payments In Wellington

-The Press- Special Service . AUCKLAND. June 1. The Minister of Works (Mr Watt) last flight confirmed that a police investigation was being made into Ministry of Wodts paymcnts on projects at Wellington, r Mr Watt said the investigation might take some time. He would make no other comment. The payments, which may involve thousands of pounds, concern hours worked and hours booked for machines on hire to the Ministry. . In Wellington today the Commissioner of Works (Mr J. M. H. Hanson) said: A Ministry .of Works overseer in the Wellington area had been dismissed for accepting gifts from contractors.

MjHjuison said that investigationfe were still continuing into some' alleged malpractices which ‘included the possibility that heavy hired equipment had been entered om*the charge books for jobs where lighter equipment was used and entries booking time for cartage that never took place. "So far we have proved that gifts were accepted. We are still investigating other allegations.” 'Mr Hanson said. “I don’t know whether it is dishonest to accept ‘back-handers’ but it is certainly dishonourable. We want to get the whole thing tidied up.” < No clerical or engineering staff of the Ministry have been found involved in malpractice. Mr Hanson said the inquires were being conducted by the Ministry, the Auditor-General and others. He denied that any mismanagement had taken place within the Ministry. Some of the investigations were directed at work done at Rongotai, but Mr Hanson emphasised that none of them - concerned shingle contracts, which were the centre of a great controversy some years ago. It is understood that most of the work under investigation took place during the last two months, although investigations have extended back further than that