ALLEGED EMBEZZLEMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 26 February 1931, Page 4

ALLEGED EMBEZZLEMENT

CHARGE AGAINST SOLICITOR THOMSON FURTHER REMANDED. MOTION TO STRIKE OFF ROLL. Brought before the Police Court at New Plymouth yesterday, Harold J. Al. Thomson, solicitor, of Inglewood, was further remanded by the magistrate (Air. R. W. Tate, S.M.) until March 11, on the application of the police. Bail was renewed. <

The charge against Thomson was that in January 21 last he received at Inglewood. from W. H. Buckthorpe the sum of £6OO in money on terms requiring him to account for and. pay the money to the Taranaki Acclimatisation Society, and that he fraudulently omitted to do so, thereby committing the crime of theft. For the police Detective Kearney asked for a remand for two weeks. The police had some further enquiries to make, he said. For Thomson Air. G. M. Spence offered no objection. He applied for bail as before. Calling on Thomson to show cause why he should not be struck off the 101 l of solicitors, an order under a rule nisi was made by Air. Justice Adams in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday. The terms of the motion were that the rule should be removed to the Couit of Appeal for determination, that Thomson be suspended from practising until the matter is determined by the Court of Appeal, and that all papers and affidavits in connection with the proceedings be transferred to the registrar of the Court of Appeal. ' . On behalf of the Taranaki District Law Society, the motion was supported by Mr. F. S. Grayling. Ho said he wished to make it clear that the proceedings had been taken by the council of the Taranaki Law Society. Directly suspicions were aroused investigations were made by the Law Society’s own auditors, under the provisions of the Law Practitioners’ Act. 'The result or these investigations was the present proceedings. On account of other proceedings elsewhere, continued counsel, it was considered inadvisable to say anything further at the present time. He presumed the court would follow the usual course and refer the matter to the Court of Appeal. Mr. G. Al. Spence appeared on beiiait of Thomson to submit to the order of the court. . The order was then made by his Honour, the matter being removed to the Court of Appeal at its next sessions. Yesterday moring Thomson filed . his schedule with the Deputy Official Assignee, and was adjudicated a bankrupt. A meeting of creditors has been summoned for Friday, March 6, at 2.30 p.m., at the office of the Deputy Official Assignee.