Cooks Hotel Manager Tells Of “Incriminating” Papers

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31621, 6 March 1968, Page 28

Cooks Hotel Manager Tells Of “Incriminating” Papers

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, March 5. Albert Charles Dawson gave evidence in the Supreme Court at Auckland today of seeing “highly incriminating” documents involving Robert Dashwood and another highly-placed person in the Cook Islands Government in April, 1966.

Mr Dawson is claiming damages totalling $10,230 from the Cook Islands Government and two Cook Island police officers.

He is suing the three defendants in three actions which are being heard together. In two actions the plaintiff is suing the Cook Islands Government as the first defendant, Fred Goodwin, a police officer, as the second defendant, and William John Pren-

tice, a police officer, as the third defendant for alleged malicious prosecution. In the third case, the Cook Islands Government as the owner of the “Cook Islands News” is named as the defendant in an action for alleged libel.

The hearing, which began on Monday, is before Mr Justice Perry and an all-male jury.

Plaintiff’s Evidence

Mr Dawson, aged 55, former manager of the Rarotonga Hotel, spent today in the witness box after beginning his evidence on Monday.

Cross-examination of Mr Dawson by counsel for the first defendant was not completed by the time the court adjourned for the day today. The trial is expected to continue into next week. Mr R. L. Maclaren and Mr D. J. Hill represent Mr Dawson. Mr R. I. Barker appears on behalf of the AdvocateGeneral of the Cook Islands, the first defendant, Mr A. A. Lusk for the second defendant, and Mr P. B. Temm for the third defendant. Drafts Of Letters

Mr Dawson said that seven documents, some of them torn and pieced together, came into his possession on April 21 and 22, 1966. Some were handwritten and he recognised the writing as that of Mr Dashwood, a former Cabinet Minister of the Cook Islands Government. The handwritten documents looked like rough drafts of letters. Each page had been torn into about 15 or 20 pieces and pasted together again, he said. He realised the documents were incriminating and had them photographed. Copies of the photographs were produced to the court and the hearing was adjourned to allow the jury to read them. Mr Dawson produced a handwritten letter addressed to a Mr Eustace, which he said Was in Mr Dashwood’s handwriting. At the foot of the letter were the words: “Required 1000 for 8.R.,” also in Mr Dashwood’s handwriting. He also produced photocopies of a letter to “Dear Finbar,” a typewritten letter from Mr Eustace to Mr Dashwood dated March 31, 1966, and a further letter from Mr Eustace dated March 3, 1966. He knew Mr Eustace as a stamp and coin dealer of Sydney. He knew a Mr Finbar Kenny, who was principal of a stamp dealing corporation in New York. Documents Shown Mr Dawson said he was shocked and horrified at the implications of the documents. He showed them to Mr Heagen, secretary to the Premier, and asked him to take action, but Mr Heagan refused to be involved.

On Mr Heagan’s advice he went to the New Zealand High Commissioner, Mr Davis, who said it was outside the scope of his duties to take any action. He asked the High Commissioner whether it was an offence in the Cook Islands to seek a bribe in money and was told that it was. The High Commissioner took photostat copies of the documents and made some extra copies for Mr Dawson. On April 29 he wrote to the Minister of Police and the Minister of Justice in New Zealand enclosing copies of the documents and requesting action. He received no reply. He said he did not go to the Rarotongan police because the original charge of theft was pending, and because of the apparent unwillingness of the police to investigate the I cashiers. I

On May 3, he was interviewed by Mr Prentice, Chief of the Rarotongan Police, about stolen documents. He was told Mr Dashwood had laid a complaint that certain documents had been stolen from his hotel room. Waste Paper Mr Dawson said he knew nothing of any stolen documents and he and Mr Prentice discussed, as a hypothetical case, whether it was an offence to remove paper from a wastepaper basket. Mr Prentice told him it was not an offence. On May 16, the Director of Education approached him and asked for the original documents. He gave them to him and they were returned about an hour later. The following day the Deputy Premier resigned. On May 24, Mr Dyson, who had just been appointed AdvocateGeneral, flew to Rarotonga. That night, Mr Dawson said, his living quarters were searched. On May 26, the Chief of Police came again, with nine or 10 policemen, and searched his office and living quarters unsuccessfully. Suspension That afternoon the Premier’s secretary advised Mr Dawson that he was to be suspended from his duties as hotel manager and that Mr Dashwood’s resignation from the Cabinet had just been handed to the High Commissioner. At this stage, Mr Dawson said, he sent the original documents to the police, and the following day he was charged with stealing or receiving them. Mr Dawson said he received a summons to appear on a charge of stealing two letters and other papers from Mr Dashwood. The charge appeared in the court news column of the “Cook Island News.” Mr Dashwood was convicted in June, 1966, of trying to obtain a bribe after he pleaded guilty to the charge, Mr Dawson said. His own case was twice adjourned. When it came to his hearing he was acquitted by a unanimous verdict on two charges laid against him. Mr Prentice was the prosecutor at the trial and he also gave evidence for the police. $5OO Claim Made Subsequent to his acquittal, Mr Dawson said, he laid a claim for $5OO for illegal suspension. All activities of the High Court had been suspended and it was apparent that his case would not be heard before he left the Cook Islands He applied for an urgent hearing but left the islands in July. “After my acquittal a feeling of hostility seemed to be developing in the islands and I was in grave fears for the safety and the health of my wife and myself,” Mr Dawson said.

In New Zealand he applied for a number of positions similar to the one he held in

Rarotonga, but he did not get a job until October, 1967. On almost every occasion he applied for a job he reached the short list of applicants, but when he told his prospective employers of the affair in the Cook Islands they lost interest in him. On the one occasion when he did not mention the affair he gained a position—the only job he had since leaving Rarotonga.

From August, 1966, to October, 1967, he was unemployed and lived on his capital. While out of a permanent job he had spent about $4BOO of his capital, he said. Publication and publicity in New Zealand of the charges he had faced had an adverse effect on his standing in the business community. Under cross - examination from Mr Barker, Mr Dawson said he considered that when the documents were thrown into a wastepaper basket they no longer belonged to Mr Dashwood. He said he had left his most recent job in February.