Threatened To Knife Employee

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30592, 7 November 1964, Page 19

Threatened To Knife Employee

(N.Z. Press Assn—Copyright) MELBOURNE, Nov. 6. A witness told the Melbourne City Court yesterday that Raymond Lawrence Borg, aged 34, a director of Payne Properties Pty., Ltd., threatened him with a knife attack if he disclosed certain information. The witness, Philip lan Phillips, said Borg told him: ‘‘lf you open your mouth to anybody I have several friends who will stick a knife in your back for £50.” Phillips was giving evidence on the fourth day of a hearing of charges against Borg and Eugene Goodvach, an estate agent.

Borg is charged with having, between January 22, 1959, and April 30, 1960, while a director of Paynes Properties Pty., Ltd., fraudulently applied four cheques, each for £5OOO.

He is also charged with having, as a director of Reid Murray Properties Pty., Ltd., on March 27, 1961, fraudulently applied a cheque for £7600 to his own use. Goodvach is charged with having aided and abetted Borg on the four £5OOO counts. Phillips said Borg made the threat on the day he (Phillips) resigned from the company in 1959. He said just before the threat was made he told Borg about a fraudulent option on land. This option involved a £20,000 payment to a company called Murray Primary Producers.

Phillips said he had been asked to check on the option claim. He told Borg about mid--1959 he had found it invalid. Phillips said Borg told him: “That will be all right, because what I say goes and what I decide will be done.” Phillips said he later spoke again to Borg at the time of his resignation. He told Borg it appeared that he (Phillips) and Paynes’ staff were working for Raymond Borg and not Paynes Properties or its shareholders. He said he told Borg that Borg had too many irons in the fire for his own personal gain. Phillips said Borg answered: “I am on top of the world and I’m going to carry on just as I wish. If you don’t like it then I accept your resignation.” Phillips said he walked to the door of Borg’s office.

Borg called him back and told him: “Only three years ago I was driving a taxi and I looked for a job as a sweeper, and now I making a lot of money. “You don’t miss much of what is going on, and I must warn you that if- you open your mouth to anybody I have several friends who will stick a knife in your back for £50.” The hearing will continue.