Former Minister to go to trial

Press, 1 April 1980, Page 8

Former Minister to go to trial

NZPA Sydney Lawyers for the former Australian Primary Industry Minister, Mr lan Sinclair, aged 50, will decide this week whether to test in the Supreme Court aspects of a decision yesterday by a magistrate who found Mr Sinclair had a case ,to answer on nine charges. The possible challenge centres on propositions of law advanced by the magistrate, Mr Clarrie Briese, S.M., who said in a written decision in the Central Court, Sydney, that there was evidence that would entitle a tribunal of fact to find, there was an intent by Mr Sinclair to deceive officials of the Corporate Affairs Commission.

Mr Briese found there<was a casg to answer on nine counts. He dismissed three other charges.. The charges on which’he found there was a case for Mr Sinclair to answer were: ’ ’

— Three counts of having forged; his father’s signature as auditor on annual company returns;. three< counts of having uttered forged annual returns; and ; three counts of having madet false statements in connection with the returns, : V Two counts of false swearing and one charge of having made a false -statement in connection > with a return of the Sinclair family company, the Sinclair Pastoral Company,! were dismissed.