LARGE DEFALCATIONS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 21, 17 September 1931, Page 3

LARGE DEFALCATIONS

— Copyright.

- Post Special Service.

LIQUIDATORS' FUNDS FORMER OFFICIAL OF PUBLIC TRUSTEE'S OFFICE PLEADS GUILTY RENTS NOT ACCOUNTED FOR

Press Association-

Liy 'leiepnone—

WELLINGTON, Wednesday. In tlie Magistrate's Court to-day Leonard Joseph Dalton, formerly Assistant District Public Trustee at Wellington, pleaded guilty to two charges of theft involving £718 11s 2d, the property of the liquidators of the New Zealand Times Company and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Evidence was given by George Ernest Ivliller, District Puhlic Trustee at Wellington, to the effect that part of accused's duty was to collect rents for the "Times" liquidators and pay them into the bank. Early in August last witness asked aceused to prepare a receipfc and expenditure statement for the past twelve months. Aceused did not do so and left the office shortly afterwards. The accounts were then investigated and the schedule showed that £398 12s collected by accused had not been paid into the bank. Also a cheque for £424 19s 2d, had been drawn on the "Times" Company's account for rates, which had, however, not been paid and it was diseovered that accused had put the cheque into an account opened in his own name at the National Bank. Accused had later accounted for £105 of the amount of the cheque. He had also notified the Trustee Office of the defalcation before it had been found out.