BAIL DOUBLED

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20887, 19 August 1939, Page 7

BAIL DOUBLED

ALLEGED CONSPIRACY CHARGE AGAINST M.L.A. SENSATION IN SYDNEY (United Press. Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) SYDNEY, August 18 The police to-day requested the magistrate at the Central Police Court substantially to increase the hail allowed to tiie member or Hie Legislative Assembly, Ronald Bruce Walker, who is charged with having conspired with the missing financier John Wooicott Forbes to defraud certain persons of sums of money. An inspector ol' police stated that Walker had disposed of certain of his assets and there was nothing to prevent him leaving the country at any moment if he so desired. The magistrate doubled the bail, bringing it to £looo, and granted a remand until September 18. Secretary Committed for Trial At tiie same Court to-day Douglas Jo welt Bush, aged 30, secretary of the Producers and General Finance Corporation, Limited, was committed for trial on a charge of conspiracy with Forbes and others to defraud that company and Ms members of large sums of money. Sir Harry Budge, chairman of the company, gave evidence to the effect that the scrip book containing certificates 2*201 to 2300 was missing. Upon inquiry in 1937 Forbes had told him it had been burned. Forbes added th.it he would fix the matter up. He had since left the country and could not be traced. Gordon Osward, security clerk of the Bank of New South Wales, said in evidence that Walker obtained an overdraft of £2OOO in May, 1938, for which he lodged 10,000 Producers and General Finance Corporation shares as security. Walker paid the overdraft last January. Unauthorised Scrip Mr A. Berry, prosecuting officer for the Crown, told the Court that Forbes had caused to be issued unauthorised scrip aggregating 40,000 shares, and a portion of that scrip had been prepared by Bush as secretary for the company. William Kingsley Wicks, aged 40, accountant, was charged with conspiracy, in connection with the same case.