CUSTOMS FRAUDS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1863, 24 September 1913, Page 7

CUSTOMS FRAUDS.

SENSATIONAL TRIAL IN LONDON. MOTOR-CAR FIRMS INDICTED. By Tclecraph—Press Acsoeiation-CoDyriffht London, Soptember 22. Tho hearing of tho charges against Ralph Millburn, Walter John Komsley, Edward William Idle, Bruce Anthony Cutherbortson, and Alfred Edward' ICemsle.v, of conspiring with Raymond Ewart Kemsley, William Crowle, Cecil Thomas Bray, Charles Brown Kollow, Isaac Phizackerley, and others to defraud His Majesty's Customs of duty on motor-cars, tires, and accessories imported into Australia by means of false invoices and declarations, between January, 1905, and Juno, 1910, has been resumed. A witness named Houghton, formerly in Tozer, Komsley, and Fisher's employment, proved that letters had been written, by Idle's orders, instructing tho manufacturers to mako a low invoice. Another witness named Neale gavo evidence that Clement Talbot wrote to. Tozer, Kemsley, and Fisher, very injudiciously, to supply second-hancl invoices for Customs purposes. Neale added that prior to 1907 tho Customs in Sydnoy had not checked the invoices by the catalogues. Cross-examined, ho admitted that Tozer discussed ill October, 1910, with tho High ' Commissioner's department the method of invoicing. The cross-examination suggested that many changes in tho Customs procedure would make a decision on the matter complex. At the previous sitting of the Court, Mr. Fulton, counsel for the Commonwealth Government, in opening tho ease, said that the firm of Tozer, Kemsley, and Fisher persuaded certain English manufacturers to Msify invoices, and pass them on 'to the Kemsley Company Proprietary, who in turn sent tliem to Australia. The Kemeley Proprietary controlled all tho agencies for the principal cars in the Commonwealth. Counsel then explained the nature of tho proceedings which had taken place in Anstralia. The action was prompted T>y filio Federal Customs Department. The Comptroller-Gen-eral of Customs" (llr. Lockyor) stated that the proceedings were the necessary outoomo of recent prosecutions which had been launohed in Australia against a number of importers of motor-cars. In connection with these a lareo amount of duty had been recovered. Tho action in England had been taken by the Customs Department, on the advice of the Federal Crown' Law authorities.