FALSE PRETENCES ALLEGED

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 March 1934, Page 5

FALSE PRETENCES ALLEGED

SCHOOL CHAIRMAN COMMITTED.

[FEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.] ROTORUA, March 16. In the Taupo Magistrate’s Court, before Mr S. I. Patterson, S.M., John Atirau Asher, licensee of the Tokaanu Hotel, and chairman of the Tokaanu native school committee, was charged with obtaining £65 19/9 from Tiweka Paru, Registrar of the Waiariki Native Land Board, Rotorua, by means of false pretences, and on three further charges of causing the said Paru to act upon false time sheets. Evidence was brought by the police to show that Asher as chairman of the school committee, had allegedly falsified the sheets in connection with work done in improving the school grounds, and for which a grant of £BO was obtained from the Native Unemployment Funds.

Asher pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court, Hamilton for trial. In connection with the same work at Tokaanu, charges of signing false time sheets, were brought against three men, Eric Hutton, carrier, Tokaanu: Walter Rae, Shannon, hotel labourer; Tokaanu, and Arthur Victor Herbert, labourer, Reporoa. All three admitted that they had signed time sheets showing various amounts due to them for work on the school grounds, although they had not at any time worked on the grounds, and were not eligible for relief work. The Magistrate convicted all three. Hutton was fined £5 with costs, Shannon was fined £2 with costs, and Herbert was ordered to come up for sentence if called at any time within 12 hours, and ordered to pay costs.