FALSE DECLARATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 April 1937, Page 12

FALSE DECLARATION

UNEMPLOYMENT FUND FRAUD.

"The Court looks’very seriously indeed upon persons extracl lug from the unemployment funds amounts to v.-hieh lliey are not entitled, by making (also declarations,” said Mr. Raymond Ferner, S.M., in Ihe Westport Magistrate's Gouri, yesterday, when impos:ng a penalty on Robert Leurmontli, v, ho was convicted on two charges of making false declarations at Denniston on July 17, 1936, and January 21, 1937, to obtain benefits under the- Employment Promotion Act. for the maintenance of his children. Mr. H. J. Anthony, district employment officer, said that Learmonth had keen working under the No. 5 scheme for a considerable period. Ho was allowed four shillings for each child not in employment and totally dependent on him. One daughter had been pel nianently employed since March, 1936. Learmonth had failed to .notify the department that this cliild had ceased to be dependent on him, and had failed to indicate the fact in the declarations referred to in the. charges. Ho had as a. result obtained JE9/10/to whicli ho was not entitled. The Magistrate said that when cases of this kind came before the Court the money so obtained must be refunded, and there must also be punishment. On the first charge, Learmonth was fined £1 and ordered to pay costs, and on the second charge he was convicted and ordered, to come up for sentence if called upon within 12 months, a special condition being that he made restitution within 12 months of the amount fraudulently obtained by such weekly payments as the unemployment officer at Westport should fix.