ALLEGED FRAUD

Northern Advocate, 11 June 1926, Page 8

ALLEGED FRAUD

INSURANCE OFFICIALS. CHARGED IN COURT. •SYDNEY, This Day. Two officials of the General Finance Mercantile Insurance Company, Ltd., appeared before Mr Gates, S.M., at the Central Police Court, and were remanded until .Tune IC. Against Oliver Partington, 41, company manager, the following charge was laid: “That before and at the time of committing the offence he was a director of the General Finance Mercantile Insurance Company, Ltd., and that between .Tune and November, 1025, ho published written statements which were false in certain particulars; ‘That the General Finance Mercantile Insurance Company, Ltd., will lend you whatever amount they insure your life for. The object of the company is to lend you any sum from £SO to £IO,OOO, at 6 per cent., for 20 years, to enable you to purchase your own home or farm, provided you are prepared to become a shareholder, to insure your life and borrow' your policy money. By purchasing 100 shares (application 2/6 and 5/ a share) in the company yon become entitled to a loan for home building or home purchasing purposes for 20 years. The General Finance Mercantile Insurance Company Ltd., is prepared to lend you whatever it insures for, and is only interested up to the extent of that loan.”

It was alleged that defendant issued these written statements, well knowing them to be false, with intent to deceive and defraud.

Mr A. G. Prendergast, who appeared for Partington, said his clinct had been released on £3OO bail. He asked that his own bail be accepted. The surety defendant had was a woman, and he did not want to worry her if possible.

The Police Prosecutor (Sergeant Napper) said that the police objected. “I have been instructed,” he added, “that the amount involved runs into thousands of pounds.” Mr Prendergast said that there was no evidence that defendant had received any of the money at all. Bail was fixed at £3OO.

Subsequently Christopher Hcdley Henry, 24, a salesman, was charged with having, on March 16, obtained £252 from Robert Campbell, at Nyngan, by falsely pretending that if he (Campbell) would pay a deposit of £252 the General Finance Mercantile Insurance Company, Ltd., would lend him £2752 for the purpose of buying a property at Nyngan, they at the same time, taking a mortgage over the' property.

Mr Prendergast also appeared - for Henry, and he agreed to a remand to June 16, on bail of £3OO.