RADIO EQUIPMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 57, 5 September 1945, Page 4

RADIO EQUIPMENT

STATEMENT UNTRUE

"No equipment has been destroyed in Hamilton which would have been of any value to the public or which could have been disposed of through the War Assets Realisation Board," said the Minister of Defence (Mr. Jones) in the House of Representatives yesterday. He was replying to questions by Mr. A. S. Sutherland (National, Hauraki) and Mr. A. S. Richards (Government, Roskill) concerning a report alleging that several thousands of pounds' worth of radio equipment had been destuoyed at the Air Force signal repair unit headquarters in Hamilton. The Minister said he had seen the report of a Court case in which a j member of the Air Force was charged with the theft of a radio set and also the statement made in Court that certain equipment had been destroyed. He was advised that the airman in question stole a radio which had been recovered fjrom him before action was taken. The matter, however, had been reported to the police, and the airman was accused of theft. His story that he had been told with ten other airmen to break up certain equipment and that the radio mentioned was to be broken up, was untrue. The Minister added that he had been advised that since the case was heard the airman had apologised to one of the officers on his station for using the excuse he had made.