BRIBERY CHARGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 18, 22 January 1944, Page 7

BRIBERY CHARGE

ACCUSED GIVES EVIDENCE

(Special P.A. Correspondent.) Rec. 11 a.m. v LONDON, Jan. 21. Rex Morley Royes, who is on trial on charges of bribing officials of the Ministry of Aircraft Production, continued his evidence today. He was questioned by the Solicitor-General, Sir D. P. Maxwell-Fyfe, who is prosecuting for the Crown. Hoyes repeated that his loan to Harold Lovers Armstrong was purely personal and added that Cunliffe Owen Aircraft, Limited, of which he is managing director, were anxious to build a complete aeroplane. Sir Patrick Hastings, who is defending, asked: "Did it ever enter your head that Armstrong could or would exercise any influence to get you a contract which you otherwise would not have got?" Hoves: It did not. Major Maxwell-Fyfe suggested that when Hoyes advanced £1000 sterling to Armstrong he chose to take the money from Cunliffe Owen Aircraft instead of from his private account. Hoyes: Not at all. ~ , Major MaxwellrFyfe: No attempt was made to; repay that money up to the time the police inquiries started. Moyes: It was to come back at my C°Major eMa exwell-Fyfe: What I am suggesting is that until this matter came to light you had not the slightest intention of repaying this amount. Hoves: That is not true. Sir Justice Stable asked Hoyes why he borrowed the money from his company instead of from his bank. Hoyes: It did not cause any embarrassment. ~ , , , Sir Hugo Cunliffe Owen said he had found Hoyes to be an honest, capable, reliable, very hard working business man. He had made personal loans to Hoyes, who always returned them. Harold Lovers Armstrong declared that the money he received from Hoyes was a personal loan. The hearing was adjourned.