PENSION BY FRAUD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18611, 19 January 1924, Page 10

PENSION BY FRAUD.

. : FALSI- DECLARATION. GAOL FOR ONE MONTH. i'A half-caste Maori, Thomas „ Savage (Mr. Inder), was charged in : the Police Court yesterday,, before Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., -with having defrauded, the Pensions Department of various sums of money by means of a false declaration. It was stated'that the accused was a returned soldier and & sufferer from Avar disabilities. - After his discharge from hospital, Savage had obtained work as & labourer and had been in ' receipt of a svage averaging nearly £4 per week. The iccused ■' had presented himself at the Pensions Office and . declared that he was working as a stevedore and earning only £1 per week. Upon the strength of: this ieciaration he was granted a special penlion..- :;*;..'. ■• ■•': . ... ■■■■■■'.'•"•' • ■'.-' .The defence was that Savage had made ;he false statement as he anticipated a jreak-down in his health and did not <hink that he could continue doing heavy vork indefinitely. It was asserted that he accused's income varied considerably ind that he had committed the offence is he had difficulty in supporting his amily. ■; >-■? " The magistrate decided that Savage had seen guilty of deliberate fraud and imposed a - sentence of one month's imprison* noi it. ;, ~ ';.. ;•' : " ; .'./•; ; FIEST WELLINGTON OASE. &£ EARNINGS UNDERSTATED. ■"' [BY TELEGBAFH. — ASSOCIATION.] 15:..'/■.;;'";.'' WELLINGTON. Friday. '.'. A- middle-aged labourer, Henry Keogh, pleaded' guilty at the Magistrate's Court x>-day to making a false declaration to the Pensions Board a3 to his employment Hid earnings. ' The case was the first of ±i kind ■ to come before the . Court aere.' ';,'• V • ';; • • ; On discharge from the Expeditionary Force in 1919, accused was granted a temporary pension, which was made permanent' in November, 1921. Under the new . Act, accused in September, 1923, applied for an . economic pension of ; thirty shillings (additional to. his permanent .pension),- which is meant only [for men unable to earn a living, -or.; who are'.'unable to obtain light employment. He made a sworn statement that ihis .', earnings were only twenty-five shillings weekly, whereas from August to July, 1923, his wages were £4 Is 3d weekly. ,- It /was mentioned that defendant enlisted when 48, was now 57, ' and ■ fast reaching the time when he would be solely dependent upon his pension. The chief detective said the proceedings were more in the nature. of a warning to others'. In view of this accused was ordered to come ,up for sentence when called upon.