EMBEZZLED REBATES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 19, 17 October 1918, Page 8

EMBEZZLED REBATES

YOUNG MAN COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE. A young man named Charles Randell Morris pleaded guilty before Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., at tho Magistrate's Court yesterday to a charge of having fradule'ntly omitted to account for certain' Customs rebates, amounting to £55 3s. 6d., to tho firm of Hopo Gibbons, Sons, and J. B. Clarkson, Ltd., by which he was employed. _ The offences were committed on various dates between June 15 and October 25, 1917. Acting-Sub-Inspcctor Emerson prosecuted, and Mr. A. W. Blair appeared for the accused. Hope Barnes Gibbons, a director of the firm of Hope Gibbons, Sons, and J. B. Clarkson, Ltd., said tho accused had been in the omploy of the firm for seven years. For the last twelve months of that period he had been in charge of the Customs and shipping department. Early in September the firm applied for a refund of certain amounts overpaid in Customs duties through a wrong classification of goods. The Department advised that a refund had already been made. Amounts totalling £55 9s. 6d. had been received by the accused on behalf of the firm, but the moneys had not been paid into the firm by the accused.

In reply to Mr. Blair, the witness stated that as far as he was aware the £55 9s. 6d. covered everything, and included a total of six items. The amount had been repaid. It was on accused's own initiative that ho left the firm, which was always well satisfied with his work.

Accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail was allowed in the sum of £50.