LANDS OFFICER IN TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2300, 6 November 1914, Page 7

LANDS OFFICER IN TROUBLE

_—^ 1 ' THEFT. OF LAND REVENUE,. " (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Christohurcli, November 5. At the Magistrate's Court this afternoon Andrew Costelloe appeared to :an3W(>r 6ix charges of having misappropriated various sums "of money, the property of the New Zealand Government. . The cho.tg.es vrete as foVVra'.— That he did' receive the sum of £54 4s. 9d. from D.dnch, on terms requiring him to account, for same to G. \V. Palmer, Receiver of Land Revenue at Christchurch,. and did fraudulently omit to do so ; (2) receiving £354 3s. •Id. from Linton 0. Gardiner on same terms; (3) receiving £526 from John Fraser on same terms; (4) receiving £245 19s. 4d. from Chas. Edward Ross on same terms ;(5) receiving £386175. Sd. : from David Archibald on same terms; (6) receiving £375 14b.' 7d. from Angus A. M'Leod on same terms.

Augustus Webber Eames, Government Auditor for Canterbury, deposed that ho examined the books of the Department. 'Hie-names and amounts in the receipts produced in Court had not been accounted for by. • accused. _ So far as .he could see the misappropriations did not extend further back that September, 1911. The average yearly revenue of the Department in Canterbury would be, rpughly,. £250,000. ■ Tho total amount in his lists not accounted for was £12,679 12s. Accused had helped considerably in compiling the lists' which would bo very valuable to the Auditor,' who had to go through the accounts of, roughly, 5000 tenants.. V ' Detective Regan gave evidence ■ regarding the arrest of accused on. October. 19. Costelloe had mado a statement in which he had admitted taking the moneys mentioned in the' six charges, together with 122 .other amounts totalling £10,756 8s 1 . 3d. He had also admitted that misappropriations had extended over eight years, and that the amounts specified in the lists represented the last instalments of rents, due. ~ Also, that cheques had been paid in and defalcations made out of cash. Accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail was allowed as i before. •.