Treasurer charged

Press, 31 March 1981, Page 9

Treasurer charged

Evidence that the treasurer of a Christchurch community organisation had been a “'one-man band” and that none of the committee members knew from week to week what was made at its housie evenings, was. given bv a witness in the District Court yesterday, during the hearing of three charges against the treasurer. The treasurer has elected trial by jury on two charges of misappropriation of funds from the organisation, and one of using a document to obtain for himself a pecuniary advantage. The amount allegedly taken is $3700. On the application of defence counsel (Mr G, E. Langham) interim suppression of the defendant’s name was continued. After depositions of evidence of five prosecution witnesses had been given

yesterday, Mr E. J. Bradshaw and Mrs J. .A. Hendric; Justices of -the Peace, adjourned the hearing to today for completion. Sergeant.L. F. Corbett is prosecuting. A woman said she had been involved in conducting housie with the complainant organisation, and other organisations during the last 10 years. She said that when the defendant became treasurer the money was never checked at'housie .evenings. It was. taken home by the defendant and counted at his home as far as she knew. It was .never double-checked. . She compared what the complainant organisation was making compared with other organisations she “called” housie for, and got “quite a shock” when she found what they were making. 1

She kept a few spot checks and could not ■ understand why the organisation was not making more, for the number of cards she knew weresold.

On one occasion when she questioned him where the money was going he said to the Save the Children Fund. However, this fund did not appear on any of the organisation’s balance sheets. Cross-examined, the witness agreed that the organisation’s housie evenings had been run on a very casual basis. However, before the defendant became treasurer a book was kept by the previous treasurer. Members could check what was being made at the evenings at any time.

Two witnesses said in cross-examination that drinks had been supplied at the close of housie evenings, for those who had helped in running the evenings. They believed this was shouted from the housie funds.

One agreed that this was a normal practice which had gone on before the defendant became treasurer. A Christmas,party had also been held for’ helpers but he was ot aware how this was funded but presumed it was not housie proceeds.