159 Charges Of Fraud Against Five Accused

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29312, 17 September 1960, Page 14

159 Charges Of Fraud Against Five Accused

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Sept. 16. Trial by jury on all counts was chosen by five men who appeared before Mr J. S. Hanna, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court at Wellington today on a total of 159 charges relating to alleged misuse of public money during the construction of Wellington airport. The men charged are: John Edward Gilmore, aged 59, an overseer (Mr R. Stacey); Howard Thomas Bennitt, aged 28, machine operator (Mr' W. V. Gazely); Charles McDonald Waterson, aged 47, a contractor (Mr K. Matthews); Edwin Harry Mitchell, aged 60, a foreman (Mr G. I. Joseph); and Claude Lanham, aged 56, a grader operator (Mr P. J. Downey). The charges, laid under various sections of the Crimes Act. alleged that daily time sheets had been forged in some eases. It was also alleged that all five men had been guilty of false pretences at different times by falsely representing that machinery—the property of F. and J. Bognuda, Ltd.—was engaged working for the Ministry of Works for certain periods and that specified sums of money were procured to be delivered to F.

and J. Bognuda by the New Zealand Government. The formal reading of the charged took 80 minutes. All five accused were remanded to appear on October 3 when the Lower Court hearing is expected to begin. The Crown Prosecutor (Mr W. R. Birks) estimated the Lower Court hearing would last about a week. Gilmore faces 52 charges of false pretences and 29 of forgery; Waterson 32 of false pretences: Bennitt 15 of false pretences and two of forgery; Mitchell 10 of false pretences and nine of forgery; and Lanham 10 of false pretences. \ The total amount allegedly involved is £1636. Bennitt’s charges relate to £328 of this amount. He is jointly charged with Gilmore in connexion with a further £152. Gilmore was jointly charged with Waterson in connexion with £525, jointly with Lanham in connexion with £273, jointly with Mitchell in connexion with £192 and singly charged in connexion with a further sum of £166. Bail was granted in all cases.