Red Cross denies rip-off

Press, 24 March 1988, Page 4

Red Cross denies rip-off

PA |l IGisborne ' 7 ‘'i:' I! I LL ■ ; I7l h 01 The ped Cross in Gisborne sayis it has dissociated itself from a plaim by the mayor, Mr Hink Healey, that it Ms being ripped oft. 77 J |77.H : i H

But Mr Hink Healey is sticking to his claim. He is disappointed » by Red Cross’s response when they originally asked him . for help, p ; | Last Saturday he iwas told by Red Cross (that people were selling what they received in pubs or swapping it with others. He went to I the Red Gross centre and! told them they should be I obtaining names and addresses of people so [they; could be checked. ' 1 Volunteers there told him they did riot like! to scrutinise |i people | too much because they were under stress. | While he was at the centre a man had collected some clothing: He said he came from Whatatutu, which was | not flooded after j Cyclone Bola, and the station he said he came from did not exist. , . ij ): Mr Healey said he had only raised the: rnatter publicly when an Auckland radio station: rang him sayirig' they understood the mayoral relief fund was being ripped off. He stressed that nothing liad been taken from that fund, the trustee system had not been set up arid applications had hot been called. ; : | : I ; ■ The publicity officer of the Poverty Bay Red Cross, I Mrs (Frances Gregory, ; is| convinced that the cases they are dealing with are [lOO per cent genuine. |j I : ! ' Mrs Gregory was concerned that Mr! Healey should publicly says people were ripping I off they system. - : i “In emergencies, (

j; huihan nature being what l it s there are always one' I or (two people who take : advantage of the situa-j j tion,” she said. ’' j But the Red Cross took care of such people beJ ij cahse to get help (with! II clothing and bedding I, pepple had to first apply i to,the Civil Defence|.wiel] Tfar6 section. Mrs Gregory ijl said they! were given' a j clut to present to the Red ' Crpss |so ! their required pi merits could then be met! | j Public response tb| Red Cross, appeals for blan-j ( kets, i gumboots and rither i iteijis had been oyer-i 11 whelming and voluntary : l workers had treatd all. [ florid victims with ;comi paslsion and understand--infe; ' I| ! i jjShe said Red Cross :i( workers!! had been disturoed at the distress and sorrow of some of the people seeking help: arid fopnd it! hard to belieye thp*y were anythirig but genuine.| ( Jl'lji I [The director of i Social Welfare in Gisborne, [Mr Barry Smart, also i said concerns over large scale 11 riploffs | were | mainly ! based on rumour. |, ' ( Several calls had been made to the office, alleg-; I ing that false claims weiie i being made, but [these’ had' not been substantiated. , Such information was; usii- | ayy relayed .third!; or ' ifourth hand and it lacked i sqbstance, he said. 11 ■; Out of ;3060 claims foq [assistance, the!; DepartI m ent of ! Social Welfare had only referred: ill cl ses to the police I for possible i prosecution. T ipse claims totalled $1 037 ouj-,'of . $866,000 processed;to date, he said.