DOCTOR TELLS OF BRIBING POLICE

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32214, 5 February 1970, Page 11

DOCTOR TELLS OF BRIBING POLICE

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

MELBOURNE, February 4.

A Melbourne doctor today told the inquiry in Melbourne into an alleged police abortion racket that he began paying bribes to police more than 13 years ago.

The doctor Gavin Amess Troup is the first doctor to tell the hearing in open court that he has performed illegal abortions and paid police officers to protect him from arrest. Dr Troup is one of six people who signed affidavits alleging that seven past or present members of the Victorian Police Force accepted bribes from abortionists to protect them from arrest When the hearing began its ninth day today, Dr Troup told the one-man board of inquiry, Mr William Kaye, Q.C., that he qualified at Melbourne University in 1945 and became a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 1954 aftei {studies in England. Dr Troup said that he first paid money to police officers late in 1956 or early 1957 after he moved into a joint practice in suburban Prahran He said that the first bribe he paid was to a man named Frederick Adam. (Adam retired recently from the Victorian police force after 38 years service.) Dr Troup said that the bribe of £3OO was in relation to a complaint about a patient he aborted while he was running the practice of Dr Arnold Finks in east Melbourne. He said that he could not recall exactly how the money was paid to Adam but said that he gave the money in

cash to Mrs Margaret Ber-| man, who was Dr Finks’s re-! ceptionist at the time. Mrs Berman has been one of the key witnesses at the inquiry, but complained of feeling unwell yesterday and did not take the stand today. Dr Troup said that the complaint arose when police tried to locate the woman patient at her work because of an offence concerning obscene photographs of her. Asked by Mr John Winneke, who is assisting Mr Kaye, whether Mrs Berman said anything to him about the payment of money, Dr Troup said: “Yes. She said that Adam would deal with this and wanted £300.” Mr Winneke asked if Adam acknowledged receipt of the money.

Dr Troup replied that Adam had telephoned him within an hour of the handing over of the money. “He introduced himself by name,” Dr Troup said, "and thanked me for the 300 cases of oranges. “I thanked him for looking after things and he said everything would be all right Mr Winneke asked Dr Troup if he had performed illegal abortions over the years and Dr Troup replied: “Yes, sir.”