CHARGE AGAINST NATIVE INTERPRETER.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1917, Page 1

CHARGE AGAINST NATIVE INTERPRETER.

Wi Rape, who was native interpreter for defence at Auckland was then charged with secreting a witness, Maliia, thus perverting the course of Justice. Mr. Hampson appeared for the prisoner. In opening the ease for the Crown Mr. Mays said the present charge was? one of five, but of these whole five it was the most important, as bearingjjpon the administration of criminal law. The prisoner had admitted that he had had this man and sent him away, but be did it, he said, because Mr; Lun don the counsel for the defence told him to do it. What answer added Mr. Lundon has to give to that I don’t know. Mahia Ilakeki was examined at great length by Mr. Mays. Witness paid that the story given by him at the lower Court at Rotorua was all a gabrication; there was no Hotel and no motor-car and the whole thing was a mytn. Mr. Mays then produced a written confession by accused Wi Hapo in which lie states l : “Just before the lunch eon adjournment Mr. Lundon and mv? self noticed Sergt. Cassells speak to Tole about the discrepancies in Mahia’s evidence, and at 1 o’clock Mr. Lundon took me into the robing room and we dfscovtered a discrepancy. Mir. Lundon said it would be better for Maliia: to be out of the way, and out of sight altogether, and he told me to tell Mahia. I met Mahia that evening and told him about tire discrepancy in his evidence, and what Mr. Lundon had said. Mahia was very frightened, and wanted to be secreted ,and I took him to the Aurora Hotel and rang up Mr. Lundon. The latter said ‘lie is quite safe to go homo if he is not intercepted by the police.’ I asked Lundon ‘shall I send him away by the night train?’ Mr. London said ‘Yes.’ I went up to Maliia. and lie was very frightened and paid be couid not go to sleep. I told him Mr. London’s instructions and ho paid lie would do 'that. I took- him to the railway station in a taxi. I met Mr. Lundon on the Saturday, and he said to me ‘has Mahia gone.’ I said, ‘ves last night’ I told him how, and he laughed and pasPed on. I did not think I was doing anything wrong then.” Asked by Mr. Mays what lie had to say to this the witness Mahia said “I refuse to make any statement with regard to the truth or otherwise of .Mr. Ilapes’s confession, all I will say is that my own story at Rotorua was a fabrication.”