Reaction To Cook Case Disappointing

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31121, 26 July 1966, Page 10

Reaction To Cook Case Disappointing

(New Zealand Pr««» Association) WELLINGTON, July 25. Disappointment over the reaction of some people who seemed to regard a former Cabinet Minister of the Cook Islands as a martyr was voiced by the Minister of Island Territories (Mr Hanan).

He told the Wellington Cook Islands community that events over the last 15 or 20 years have shown all too often that when people attain self-government, there is a tendency for corrupt practices to creep into Government circles.

pleaded guilty to what must be regarded as a serious crime to be committed by a member of any Government,” he said. Mr Hanan said that under Cook Islands law the Minister automatically forfeited his post in Cabinet and his seat in the Legislative Assembly. “The actions of the Cook Islands Government in this case were proper and ensure that it will be an isolated case,” said Mr Hanan.

“As you all know, the Cook Islands Government has not been an exception,” Mr Hanan said. He recalled that Mr Julian Dashwood, Minister of Police and Hotel, had been fined £5O and given a deferred sentence of three years imprisonment for corruptly attempting to obtain for himself or some other person a bribe of £lOOO by undertaking to advise toe Cabinet to accept an offer from an Australian firm for the issue of a commemorative coin.

Submarine Leaves. The British submarine, HJI.S. Tabaid, left Lyttelton for Sydney at 8.2« a.m. yesterday. The Lyttelton harbourmaster (Captain A. R. Champion) and toe resident naval officer, H.M.N.Z.S. Pegasus (Lieuten-ant-Commander C. J. Carl) were on the wharf to bid farewell. As she cleared the inner harbour, HM.S. Tabaid signalled farewell with flares.

“Whatever the background may have been, the Minister