More charges pending at Wigram base

Press, 10 June 1977, Page 1

More charges pending at Wigram base

Charges will probably be laid against more R.N.Z.A.F. ranks after the discovery of electronic equipment at the Waipara commune.

This was confirmed last evening by Group Captain I. M. Gillard, commander of the R.N.Z.A.F. Support Group, who said that some of the equipment had been stolen from the Wigram base.

“We can deal with this ourselves, or the police can deal with it under the Crimes Act,” said Group Captain Gillard. He said the equipment taken was “just valves and bits of wire — nothing which could be made to work.”

“It was a bit of squirreling by our chaps; the sort of thing that goes on in most companies,” he said. “However, it amounts basically to theft of service property.”

Group Captain Gillard said the discovery of the Waipara arms cache had led to “a certain amount of resentment” among R.N.Z.A.F. personnel towards the Wigram servicemen who are members of the sect.

“This is bad in one way,” he said. “It strikes at the basis of military life, which is being part of a team.”

Old broadcasting equipment "junked” by ' South Pacific Television was among the electronic gear found at the Waipara commune. Two sect members work for South Pacific Television in Christchurch.

The supervisor of audio equipment for the channel (Mr Barry Forest) confirmed that the sect ob-

tained equipment no longer considered of any use by the channel.

“They have revived a little bit of throw-out equipment. We do not think of it as having any use,” he said. Most of it was old valve equipment. Mr Forest said that some of the equipment could have been used again as part of a broadcasting system, “but it would be pretty primitive.” Inquiries by “The Press” yesterday showed that three licences for radio transmission sets had been issued to the Metcalf family at its former Christchurch addresses. Two licences were issued in the name of V. D. T. Metcalf, at 102 Eureka Street. Aranui, and the third licence was issued in the name of Dr D. A. Metcalf. at 104 Eureka Street. The licences, known as “E. 1” licences, are for citizens’ band transmitters with a range of up to 35 miles in the best conditions. At most, the transmitters for which the licences were issued could just reach Christchurch from Waipara.

Until “The Press” approached the Post Office, the radio-licensing branch had not linked the Eureka Street licences with the Waipara commune. As a result of this newspaper’s inquiries, the police were informed that radio transmitter licences had been issued to the Metcalfs. It is a minor offence not to report the change of address of a radiotransmitting station. According to the Post Office, the death of a licenceholder should also be reported.