“MECCA OIL” FRAUDS

Evening Star, Issue 20635, 7 November 1930, Page 12

“MECCA OIL” FRAUDS

PIMEHTAL SENTENCED TO TWO . YEARS [Pm United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, November 7. A term of two years with hard labour was imposed by Mr Justice Ostler on Morton Parker Pimental in the Mecca oil case His Honour severely criticised the methods of accused, branding the scheme as one conceived in fraud and "or which his whole capital came from the victims of his speciously and cun ningly-worded advertisements and letters. [Pimental persuaded his victims to invest, claiming to represent a big oil company, whereas all he did was to buy oil in' New Zealand and sell it at an enhanced price. 1 Addressing Pimental, His Honour said that tho jury had recommended mercy on tho ground (as they put it) that if left alone he might have made good in his business, it was a little difficult for His Honour to understand that. “ The method of carrying on yonr

business made it, to my mind, mathematically certain that yon couldn’t have made good as an honest deal n r in oil, and made it certain that the business must have conic to ruin. But. as you risked no capital, all the losses would fall on tho victims of your fraud.” His Honour also remarked that something like £I,OOO of the money of the victims had disappeared, and until His Honour got satisfactory evidence to the contrary ho could only assume that tho greater part of.it was stowed away somewhere where thq prisoner could get it. "In His Honour’s opinion Pimental never thought he could make a success of the business, and it was His Honour’s opinion that it was Pimental’s intention to go ‘on as long as ho could raking in money, and then disappear when ho had made a considerable sum. Ho thought the appropriate term would have been three years, but in deference to the opinion of tho jury ho would reduce tho term.