Detective in box 3 days

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34107, 20 March 1976, Page 2

Detective in box 3 days

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND.

Detective Inspector Charles Sturt, who is leading the JBL investigation, is believed to have set a New Zealand record for the length of time a person has spent in the witness box during court proceedings.

The detective has spent three days in the box, minus a couple of hours to let formal witmesses produce evidence, and he spent until lunch 'time today in the box as well, finishing his evidence. (The court did not sit on Tuesday.)

The hearing, in a special courtroom at Durham House, Auckland, is before Mr T. G. Maxwell. S.M. One senior counsel involved in the procedings said that, although he could not be sure he was accurate, IMr Sturt’s spell could certainly be close to a record, if not a record. Mr Sturt declined to comment, but he is obviously showing signs of strain after three years and a half of investigating the collapse of the JBL group. During four days of producing evidence and under cross-examination, his voice at times has been hoarse and he has become blearyeyed as each day of his evidence ends. Mr Sturt's record is expected to be exceeded by several other withesses still Ito be heard These include the JBL Government-ap-pointed receiver, Mr D. L. Hazard.

Today, the detective was re-examined by the Crown Prosecutor, Mr W, D. Baragwanath, and then about 50 pages of evidence was read back to the court As well as this evidence, he has also read 140 pages

of statements from six of the defendants. Earlier, it was estimated that 350 witnesses would be called by the Crown, but it appears now that this will be reduced to less than 200.

Mr Sturt is the 100th witness in the hearing which ends its fourth week today. Because of the length of time taken by Mr Sturt, the turnover of witnesses for the hearing was dropped to an average of little more than five a day.

The hearing is expected to last for at least another two to three months. Before the court are Peter Kenneth Leneve Arnold. Philip Pau! Sargent, Michael Bruce Gurney Thomson. Barrie Phelps Hopkins, Hugo I Stephen Fanning, Hugh Buchanan Jones, Eric Walter Thompson Rex Evans and Francis William Ralph. They are charged, together with James and Vaughan Jeff's, in their absence, and JBL Consolidated Ltd. with conspiracy to defraud and fraudulently promoting. in re-examination by Mrj W. D. Baragwanath, the Crown Prosecutor, today, Mr Sturt said the only material change he could recall in relation to payment was that a first 10 per cent of the investor's total participation was received and paid to Turner Hopkins and Partners. This procedure was subsequently altered, and evidence would be adducted that 100 per cent was then requested by and paid directly to JBL Consolidated Ltd. I