SPY TRIAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 109, 21 February 1950, Page 3

SPY TRIAL

FINAL STATEMENTS SENTENCES TO-MORROW (N.Z.P.A.-Eeuter—Copyright). (Rec. 11.35 a.m.) BUDAPEST, Feb. 20. Gyula Alapi, public prosecutor in the Hungarian spy and sabotage trial, toltl the court to-day that the American defendant, Robert Vogeler, had been “proved as a spy who had lost the game and was unmasked.” .-v He said the verdict of the court should “reflect the fate such people deserve,” but he did not ask for the death penalty. Alapi, who prosecuted Cardinal Mindzenty, demanded the death penalty for the two chief Hungarian defendants, Imre Geiger, former director of the Hungarian Standard Electric Company, and Zooltan Rado, former departmen chief in the Ministry of Industries. Vogeler and his British associate, Edgar Sanders, and five Hungarians, one a woman, pleaded guilty to espionage and eeonomic«sabotage in the first two days of the trial last week.

Dr. Bard, Vogeler’s counsel, said the death penalty could not be applied to Vogeler and ganders because they were foreigners, and could not be traitors but only agents for a foreign Potver. The lawyer for Sanders described his client as “only a small cog in a big international machine.” He said it was clear from Sanders’s personal record that he had acted under orders from Vogeler. ' Sorry For Activities

In his final statement to the court, Vogeler said: “I wish to confirm the declaration that I am sincerely sorry for all the activities which I committed against the Hungarian People’s Democracy, particularly since I was sent from the United States to Hungary to undermine the results of the reconstruction of damages caused by the war. I wish to use the right of the last -word to declare that I have, through 1 pre-trial investigation, and here in court, given my testimony freely and openly and without the coercion which, rumour always says is used in such cases. I hope that my sincerity both before and during the trial.will in some small measure show how much I repent my guilt.” In a final statement Sanders also repeated that he was guilty. He blamed his guilt on “my education, my military occupation and the employment which I found in Hungary. I fully realise the gravity of all I have done.” „ The Hungarian defendants made similar statements, and the president of the court then adjourned proceedings. , The court reconvenes to-morrow for the sentences to be read.