STAVISKY SCANDAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21765, 3 April 1934, Page 10

STAVISKY SCANDAL

OFFICIALS INVOLVED SERIOUS CHARGES MADE LONDON, March 22 Evidence concerning Stavisky's career as a gambler, showing that criminals, spies and cardsharpers enjoyed tho protection of Government officials and even of Cabinet Ministers, has been given before the Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry. It has also been revealed, reports the Paris, correspondent of'the Manchester Guardian, that the Surete Generale (the Scotland Yard of France) employed the most doubtful characters. There was often no clear borderline between criminals and police spies. The Surete questioned Simanoviteh, son of Rasputin's former secretary, concerning the murder of M. Prince, on the eve of his threatened revelation of the names of people in high positions who were alleged to have been concerned in the Stavisky scandals. Simanoviteh travelled to Dijon by the same train as M. Prince, ostensibly 011 his honeymoon.

L'Action Franeaise, which has an excellent intelligence service, claims that the Prince mystery has not been solved because the Surete Generalo is so involved in the Stavisky affair that it cannot be expected to be a successful detective, after playing the part of a criminal. ACCOMPLICE IN CUSTODY CLUE TO JEWELS SOUGHT RELATIONS WITH DANCER PARIS, March 25 111 connection with the arrest of " Joio the Terror." otherwise Georges Hainnaux, one. of Stavisky's accomplices. Hainnaux said he detested publicity, photographers and journalists. Wanted on a charge of receiving in connection with the Stavisky case, he strolled into the police station, where an inspector, with his feet on the mantelpiece, was glumly searching a Sunday paper for newß about him. Hainnaux lianded over to Inspector Bony the first batch of cheque-butts. Ho had lived in n hotel next door to Bomagnino, Stavisky's lawyer. Starling life in a circus, he had been bruiser, tumbler nnd anarchist. Ho had made money during tho war, and opened a night club, but lost it, after which Stavisky befriended him. Hainnaux previously had boasted that the Government would not survive his arrest for one hour, says the Paris correspondent of the Daily Mail. Labels on his luggage indicated that recently he had visited London. This visit is believed to have been made with Romagnino in connection with tho pawning of jewels. An English girl dancer, Celia Nono, whom tho police are seekihg, may throw light on the matter.