Forgery charges against solicitor

Press, 14 November 1981, Page 2

Forgery charges against solicitor

PA Auckland An Auckland solicitor elected trial by jury yesterday when he appeared in the District Court on charges of forgery, uttering, and using a document.

He faces two charges that on or about June 14, 1979, he made a false document, a disposal authority, for the sale of a Range Rover motor

vehicle with intent that it be acted upon as genuine, and one charge that he made a change of ownership form for the vehicle.

He faces a further charge that on December 2, 1979, he uttered a document, a purchase voucher, for the sale of the vehicle knowing it to be signed by persons who did not have lawful authority, and a charge that he signed the purchase voucher without lawful authority. He also faces a charge that on or about June 15, 1981. knowing that a disposal authority for the sale of the vehicle was forged, he dealt with it as if it were genuine. Judge Blackwood,’ granting interim suppression of the man’s name, said that there had been some news media publicity. It seemd quite wrong for the media to use a

name before the man appeared in court and it perhaps removed completely any discretion of the court. The Judge remanded the man on $lOOO bail until December 16 for the taking of depositions. Counsel, Mr John Henry, Q.C.. said that the man had made an emphatic denial of guilt All the charges concerned documents relating to one motor vehicle. There was no question that the sale of the vehicle was other than genuine. no question of any misappropriation or misdirection of funds, and no question of fraud or fraudulent dealings with money in any form. What was really involved was something very much in the technical area of the law. he said.