Ray Smith to face charges in two weeks

Press, 7 September 1989, Page 16

Ray Smith to face charges in two weeks

NZPA Washington The former Goldcorp chairman, Ray Smith, will have a chance in two weeks to deny, or concede immigration charges which might lead to his deportation from the United States.

A U.S. Immigration and Naturalisation Service official said on Tuesday that September 19 had been set as the date for a “master calender” hearing at which the service would set out grounds for deporting Mr Smith and he would deny or concede them.

Smith, living in Park City, Utah, was released on bail of SUSSOOO ($8474) on August 28 after being arrested by immigration officials and spending a week-end in jail.

Mr Meryl Rogers, in charge of the service’s office in Salt Lake City, Utah, said Smith would face charges of working illegally in the U.S. and also of not having immigration documents appro-

priate to his intention of living indefinitely in the country.

“We are contending that he was not truly a tourist, that he was actually an immigrant intending to establish a permanent domicile here,” said Mr Rogers. The charge of working illegally relates to allegations that Smith was involved in the running of a helicopter charter service - something he has already denied through the news media.

The preliminary hearing will be conducted by an immigration judge, and if Smith denies the charges, it will be followed by a full hearing of the charges and the New Zealander’s defence. That hearing, also by an immigration judge, would be delayed about two months, Mr Rogers said.

“If he (Smith) concedes those charges at his master calender hearing, then the Judge will enter an order at that point as to deportation,” he said.