CHAIRMAN CHARGED

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 146, 17 March 1934, Page 9

CHAIRMAN CHARGED

Alleged False Time-sheets By Telegraph.—Press AssociationRotonia, March 16. In the Taupo Police Court, before Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M., John Atirau Asher, licensee of the Tokaanui Hotel and chairman of the Tokaanu Native School Committee, was charged with obtaining £65/19/9 from Tiweka Paru, registrar of the Waiariki Native Land Board, Rotorua, by means of false pretences ; and with three further charges of causing Puru to act upon false timesheets. Evidence was brought by the police to show that Asher, as chairman of the school committee, had allegedly falsified time-sheets in connection with work done in improving the school grounds, and for which a grant of £BO was obtained from the Native unemployment funds. Asher pleaded not guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court at Hamilton for trial. In connection with the same work at Tokaanp, charges of sighing false time-sheets were brought against three men—Eric Hutton, carrier, of Tokaanu; Walter Rae Shannon, hotel labourer, of Tokaanu; and Arthur Victor Herbert, labourer, of Reporoa. All three admitted that they had signed time-sheets showing various amounts due to them for work on the school grounds, although they had not at any time worked on the grounds, and were not eligible for relief work. They contended that they had signed the sheets at Asher’s request, not realising at the time what they were signing. The magistrate said that he could not believe this assertion, and imposed convictions on all three. Hutton was fined £5, and ordered to pay £2 toward the cost of the prosecution; Shannon was fined £2, and ordered to pay 10/costs; and Herbert was ordered to come up for sentence within twelve months, and ordered to pay 10/- costs.