UNFOUNDED!

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 December 1924, Page 7

UNFOUNDED!

CHARGES AGAINST SQLICITOR. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S ENQUIRY. SOLICITOR EXONERATED. (by telegraph—press association. WELLINGTON, Dec. 5. The charges _ against Wilson (the Westport solicitor against whom Mr Holland in thg. Hquge, \qf Representatives made various charges) were: 1. That as a trustee in the estate'of Bernard Menghiui he abused his position by lending trust,money to himself and in other ways. This statement is condemned as incorrect iii almost" every particular. Wilson was never a trustee and, though he owed Menghini money, the amount was reduced and finally paid off. 2. That ope. Seaton was charged for work never done. The Attorney-Gen-eral can find no evidence of misconduct. 3. That Wilson charged £7l costs in procuring a claim for compensation for £lO5. The answer to this is that the £7l included costs in four other cases on behalf of the same client, and the total charge was reduced to £4B 11s 9d. The Attorney-General finds the charge fair. 4. A charge of misconduct in administering the affairs of one Abbot. The Public Trustee took over Abbot’s affairs and made enquiry, resulting in his reporting that there was nothing amiss in Wilson’s dealings. All moneys were accounted for, and Abbot seemed to have done very well out of it. There was also a charge that Wilson allowed Abbot to be sentenced to imprisonment for having no visible means of support when he had large funds of Abbot’s in hand. The Public Trustee says that Wilson had money, but it was not Abbot’s. Counsel and Abbot pleaded guilty for reasons of his own connected with another charge against him.