TRIAL OF BANK CLERK

Chronicle (Levin), 30 October 1947, Page 5

TRIAL OF BANK CLERK

TKEFT WAS INSIDE JOB, SAYS WITNESS WELLINGTON, Oct. 29. The deferice did not suggest that the documeiits which were the subject of the charges of forgery and uttenng against Peter Edward klillett, aged 24, cierk, were in any way genume, said Dr. O. C. Mazengarb, K.C., counsel for accused, when the trial entered the second day in the Supreme Court to dayv Millett is on trial on three charges oi' forgery, three of uttenng forged documents and one of theft from the iieserve Bank of 23 Government stock certiflcates of a total t'ace value 01 £10,000. Wilfred Raymond Eggers, chief ac countant of the Reserve Bank, gave further evidence of thu bank's inethods of liandling the docuinents involved in a stock transfer. A good part ot' the questions put to vvitness by both the Grown and defence counsel, dealt .vith details of initiais, the entries and other features of the memorandqtn oi transfer. One of the documents was acknowledged by both parties to be a forgery. Especial attention was paid in uotli the exa'ifiE&ation and ctoss- * examinatiou to the processes through which a meniorandum would normaiiy have passed in its liandling at the bank. To Mr, Justice Oornish vvitness said there were persons uii duty at the bank day and night. His Honour: You feei quite eertain it was an inside job. — 1 do. Cross-examined Ly Dr Mazengarb witness said there were about 240 employees at the Reserve Bank. About lo were in the room in which Millett worked and about .four in a neighbouring room where Miss Taibut worked. In the course of a day about 30 or 40 documents might be handed over the eounter of the room in which Millett worked. Several -of the oflicerH oi' the transfer room would have attended that eounter. The typewriter which was allegedly used to type the niemorandum- of transfer was kept 111 the record room. He never knew Millett to use that typewriter. Tliere vvus no typewriter in the transfer room Out there was oue in Miss Taibut s room adjoining. Witness did not know ii Millett ever used that typewriter, He could see no occasion on which. Millett would be expected to use a typewriter. Accused had aceess to the strongroom, During the day when the registers were out and all trolieys out, there was nornmlly nothing in the strongroom ex cept lockers. Witness did not know what would induce a cierk to go into the strongroom during the day if all the records were out. Dr. Mazengarb asked: Would not a cierk, going mto the strongroom if he had 110 business, excite the attention of the head of the section? Witness: If he nad no business there but I don't think he woudd question anyone in the section going into the strongroom at that time of the day. T'lre strongroom is regarded as part of tlie oflice. Dr. Mazengarb: If a cierk came out of the strongroom with some of thosi bonds would it not excite attention immediately? Witness: Yes, if it was not the cierk who was dealing with them. Dr Mazengarb: Did Millett have any business in tlie strongroom Witness: Nq. M. E. Digby, ofdcer of (the Bank oi New Zealand, Auckland, said Miss Jessie Munro Murckie had an accqunt at that bank. He produced a specinien signature of Miss Murchie. The signatures on the memorandum of transfer and notiflcation of change of address in the present case, were deflnitely nol Miss Murchie 's signatures, The hearing will be continued tomorrow. f