$50,000 ‘Mona Vale' Offer Withdrawn

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31530, 18 November 1967, Page 1

$50,000 ‘Mona Vale' Offer Withdrawn

The man who is believed to have offered $50,000 to the “Mona Vale” project has now withdrawn his offer.

He made a statement to “The Press” last night in which he said he had understood that those with whom he had originally discussed the matter would disclose his intended conditions.

The chairman of the Waimairi County Council (Mr D. B. Rich) at the home of the anonymous citizen last night, read the statement to a reporter and gave assurances as to its genuineness.

On Thursday night Mr Rich informed his council that the public had been misled over “Mona Vale’’ finance and spoke of an approach made by him to the man concerned. Last night the man issued the following statement through Mr Rich:— “I approached Mr Rich because I was concerned that the public had not been informed, to the best of my knowledge, of the amount and conditions of my intended donation to the ‘Mona Vale’ project. “The statement by Mr Rich as reported in "The Press’ yesterday is a correct statement of my position. “I have not intended to donate SNZ 50,000 to this project and have sought to have the council informed of this and other conditions. “Too Expensive”

“I made this offer on a project put to me by another person.

“I further state that I am no longer prepared to offer any sum of money towards this project as it would be too expensive to maintain. “Mr Rich is fully conversant with my feelings and is the only local body spokes-

man who can speak on my behalf. I trust my anonymity will be respected.” The reporter asked why the man had waited so long fore making his story before making his story known.

Solicitor's Advice Through Mr Rich the man replied: “I was relying on my conditions being published. I received advice from my solicitor not to discuss the matter.”

“Why sign an agreement to give $50,000?” the reporter asked.

“I was under a misapprehension that my conditions were included in the agreement,” he replied. The reporter: You did not read the agreement? The man: Conditions were given verbally. The document was drawn up for signature and I signed believing the agreement would reflect my wishes.

He said he regretted that there had been a misunderstanding over his conditions. He said misunderstanding might have arisen because he had offered to make a donation of £25,000 in Australian currency received from the sale of securities overseas.

This would have represented about $42,000 in New Zealand currency and he had been quite clear that this sum would be less brokerage and other expenses, possibly including gift duty.