BRIBERY OF POLICE.

Inangahua Times, 1 April 1936, Page 3

BRIBERY OF POLICE.

BETTING IN SYDNEY (United Press As^n.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) SYDNEY, March 30. The Labour politician, Mr Lazzarini, who made charges in Parliament • against the police methods in connec- '- an with betting raids and prosecu- 1 tions, attended today’s sitting of the Royal Commission, and expressed his willingness to tender evidence in regard to a number of cases in which the police and their agents were allegedly involved. He pointed out that while he favoured a Select Com mittee of Investigation rather than a Royal Commission, he was now anxiou? to combat rumours that he was running away from the charges he had made in Parliament, and also a rumour that hf had received a bribe to remain away from the Commission. The Commissioner, Judge Marlcell said that he would "be glad to deal with these cases after Easter. The Police Commissioner, Mr MacKay, further gave evidence that when he took over the Police Commissionership, he resolved to eliminate as far as possible, the use of agents, and in thr course of a series of articles to the police betting squad, he had emphasised that “If you cannot get cases clean. d ; o not get them at all! ’ ’ He had told them he was not going to a 1 low any ‘phizzig’ to run. the New South Wales Police Force. It had since been a rule of the Police Department that two policemen should corroborate the evidence of a police agent. He added: Betting in this country is supposed to be a religion, and the inclination of 75 per cent of the people is that the betting laws are harsh. For that reason the police must be doubly careful.” The Commission adjourned. ANOTHER MEMBER ’3 EVIDENCE. SPDNEY, March 30. At the Commission inquiraing into police betting raids, Mr E. L. Sanders,

a Government member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, said that a number of his clients had sought his assistance in getting remission of betting fines. Others had complained about police actions. (Mr Sanders produced a statement from Alfred Ingram, who declared that he had paid Sergeant Jennings, of North Sydney, twenty pounds each month fox nearly a year in order to enjoy immunity from prosecution for illegal betting. Mr Sanders added that he had been reliably informed that the police were constantly raiding one hotel in North Sydney, while another hotel nearby escaped. The Commission adjourned until Ap- ( ril 15th.