HUGE CUSTOMS FRAUDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1085, 25 March 1911, Page 5

HUGE CUSTOMS FRAUDS.

—: — 4 MOTOR-CAR AGENT CONVICTED LIABLE T0 MAXIMUM PENALTY . OF £ 125,000. SUCCUMBS TO TEMPTATION. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyrlcht (Rec. March 2-1, 11.30 p.m.) Sydney, March 24. In the High Court the Minister for Customs to-day proceeded against Ernest Samuel Turner, carrying on business as tho General Motor Co., for penalties for defrauding tho Customs in connection with tho importation of motor-cars by means of false forms and entries. The defendant admitted the allegations, and agreed upon a statement of facts, which ivas submitted to the Court. The first case covered fivo shipments of cars, on which duty was underpaid to tlio extent of £410. The second case against the General Motor Co. and Turner referred to sixteen shipments on which duty was evaded to the extent of £3774. The Court convicted Turner in both cases, but tho decision as to the amount of costs and penalties will be given later. Counsel for the Customs Department said the cases disclosed altogether 87 offences, involving total maximum penalties under tho Act amounting to £125,000. Ho suggested that the Court should inflict a penalty of £12,000, which would be threo times the amount of tlie duty evaded. Counsel for tho defendant said the frauds began in 1907. It was a case of a man being too weak to resist temptation.