THREE MEN CHARGED

Evening Star, Issue 20672, 20 December 1930, Page 13

THREE MEN CHARGED

. STATE ADVANCES LOAN FALSE REPRESENTATIONS ALLEGED [PKI! UxiTKIJ I'KKSS AsiOCM'l'lO.N.] AUCKLAND, December VJ. , The heaving was begun to-day ol charges against three men, in connection with ‘a Stale Advances Joan. Brian Dunninghain, aged twentythree, solicitor, was charged in six instances with aiding and abetting persons to make declarations which would amount to perjury it made on oath. All the declarations were alleged to have been made in support ol applications lor Joans from the _ Stale Advaneep Department. Dimniiigham and William Cornelias Torckler, taxi driver, were jointly charged with obtaining from tho department £8(50 by falsely representing that the money was for tho erection, of. a house lor the, solo use of Doris Kordyee Chappell and Ernest Cedric Chappell. Torckler was also charged with counselling Raymond Ccorgo Hausman to make a declaration equivalent to perjury. Samuel Thomas Raker, aged thirtysix, -carpenter, was charged with making a declaration equivalent to perjury. Ernest Cedric. Chappell, painter, St. Leonards road,'Mount Eden, was tho first witness, lie -said lie purchased a section at Point Chevalier in April, 1920, for £245 on a £25 deposit and monthly instalments of 48s. In March, 1927, ho applied to tho State Advances Department for a loan of £1,1(55. Tho tender Tor the house was £9OO. After waiting eighteen months it did not seem likely that a loan would be .-granted, and as he was then unablo to keep up In's payments he tried to recoup by selling ms section. Dunninghain called on him in December, 1928, and said ho had a lady who required a .section, but siic wanted a Government loan with:it. “I asked him how 1 would stand with a Government loan. Dimniiigham told me . would get hark what 1 had paid on it.” continued witness, “and that ho would arrange for a new loan application.” Witness next received a letter from the valuation ollieor and showed it to 'Dunninghain. The letter asked ■why a Government sale notice was placed on his property. Tho aroused advised witness to see the valuator and tell him that the application would he renewed.

Mr Meredith (for the Crown) ; Ton knew tho application was not to ho for you?—Yes. Mr Meredith: And Duuninghnm knew also?—Yes. Mr Meredith: Tlcforo yon went to tho Valuation Department did yon ask Diuminghiim if it was all right? Yes, my wife asked him it it was the right tiling, and Dimniiigham told limit was. My wife said she did not want to do twelve mouths in Mount Eden. Witness, continuing, said that later Dunninghain wrote out a letter which witness copied, stating ho had withdrawn his section from sale, and would be carrying on with the loan. Later still ho ami his wife signed a declaration supporting tho loan application. He did not see the body of tho application before signing. Ho got £su from Dunninghain out of the loan, which he had put into tho section. Witness then made a statement that Dunninghain, on August 19 last, called on him at his house, and stayed two hours. Detectives Doyle ami O’Sullivan had arrived previously, and were in tho next room. Witness said that Dunninghain told him that he wanted witness to meet Torckler. Tho three of them should get together and talk tilings over. Dniiningham said ho was sure there was nothing wrong, and added: “If wo don’t get together wo will all bo making different statements. If wo do that wo will all ho in tho soup.” Detective-sergeant Doyle said cn learning that Dunninghain was going to Chappell’s house ho and another detective went into the next room, from which they could hear distinctly. When Dimniiigham entered witness took up a position at tho connecting door and hoard the conversation, which both ho and Detective O’Sullivan recorded verbatim.

The report of tho conversation be l tween Dimuingham and Chappell was read by tho detective-sergeant. Witness stated that ho interviewed TorckIcr on August 7. He asked Torcklpr how lie had eomo to ocfiipy the house, and ho replied that lie had asked Duuuingham to eolleet some money lor him = from Chappell, hut Dimuingham had not succeeded, and he hail been advised to take tho money out as rent. “On December _-I I arrested Torckler.” continued witness. “ 1 read tho warrant to him, and he replied, ‘ I do not remember saying that this will ho a eleaii-up of the State Advances. There will ho a few disclosures.’ ” Alter further evidence the hearing was adjourned till Monday.