BRITANNIA BANK

Hokitika Guardian, 2 October 1931, Page 2

BRITANNIA BANK

THE! ACCUSED MEN.

SENT FOR TRIAL

(Australian Press Association.)

SYDNEY, October 1

The hearing was resumed to-day of the case in which Mond and Cunningham were charged with attempting to defraud various persons by inducing them to become shareholders and depositors in the Britannia Bank Limited and other companies which they were forming. When the case was resumed Mond’s counsel, Mr Manning, submitted that no offence had been disclosed in the evidence.

Detective-Sfergeant Lawrence said that the police was satisfied that there had been an intent to defraud, judging by the two men’s actions.

The Magistrate, Mr Shepherd, asked: “Don’t you think that the prosecution was premature as the scheme had not matured,- it being said that everything was subject to confirmation in England?” Detective-Sergeant Lawrence expressed the opinion that an ageenient to commit an offence had already been completed. What the accused intended to do afterwards, the police did not kfiow, Mr Manning urged that Mond's actions had been quite ill order. The Magistrate: “Cannot an imer* cnee be drawn from the fact that lie hud not produced, on demand, the document, said to be a power of attorney signed by influential men in England ?” Mr Manning': “Not at all!”

Mr Scott, for the Crown, submitted that the defendant’s intention was to convince leading business men viiat t hoy were bona, fide, and 1 then to obtain money from the public.

The Magistrate: “What is troubling me is the matter of' ratification in England. Do you suggest this would have been rigged up by the defendants?” Mr Scott: “Yes.”

After the bearing of further evidence, Mond and Cunningham were committed for trial, bail being fixed at £4O each, and the Magistrate remarking that lie would leave the matter to the Attorney-General.