SILVER SMUGGLERS

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 76, 31 March 1934, Page 12

SILVER SMUGGLERS

OFFENCES ON MARAMA

FINES AND FORFEITURE

Fines totalling £75, "aud the forfeiture of silver coin valued at £.125, were the penalties imposed upon three seamen in the Magistrate's Court today for the attempted export of the silver on the Marama without a permit from the Minister of Finance.

The accused were John Zenantreivia, aged 29, who was fined. £35 and had £60 worth of silver forfeited; Ernest William Skelly, aged 29, who was fined £25 and had £30 worth of silver forfeited; and George William Stevens, aged 33," who was fined £15 and had £35 worth of silver forfeited.

Zenantreivia pleaded not guilty, and the others'admitted that they had assisted to carry the silver on board. The Crown Prosecutor (Mr. P. S. X.' Macassey) said that Skelly and Zenantreivia had been employed on the Marama for some years, and that Stevens was a seaman at present on relief work. ,-The three men were seen boarding the ship together before she left recently on a cruise to the Sounds. They were accosted oh board by detectives, and Skelly produced from under his shirt a canvas bag containing £30 in half-crowns. He said it was not his but that he was bringing it on board for someone else for a commission. When Zenantreivia was searched six paper bags, each containing £10, were found on him, and he refused to make any statement. -Stevens was found to have in his possession £35 in silver coin wrapped in brown paper. He said he was merely bringing it on board for another man whom he refused'to name. He refused to! say where, he got .the silver from, but said that he expected a commission. • • COUNSEL'S SUBMISSION. - For Zenantreivia Mr. F. W. Ongley said that the whole question was whether or not his action was an attempt to export the silver. Counsel submitted'that' he might have had a quite lawful purpose in taking the nioney on board. There were about 200 passengers going, on the Sounds cruise, and Zenantreivia might have wanted the money for change for them. It was pointed.out by Mr. Maeassoy that before the. Marama left for the Sounds , she. was booked' to leave' for Sydney on her return,' "I have little doubt as.to which,way I should direct my mind in regard to the man who pleaded not guilty," said Mr. W. F. Stilwell, S.M. Taking all of the circumstances into account, together with the fact that Zenantreivia had been employed on the ship for some time and that considerable publicity had been given to the fact that the export of silver was illegal, the Magistrate .said, he was , convinced that Zenantreivia knew the' nature /of the act he attempted. He must have known that to take such a large sum of money on board could lead to only one inference,., that he meant to export it. , In asking that substantial penalties be imposed, Mr. Macassey said that there was uo doubt that the money did not,belong to the. men but to someone else. The practice meant a serious loss to New Zealand, and had to be stopped.