Nationalist Member involved in Bribery

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 544, 22 December 1928, Page 9

Nationalist Member involved in Bribery

TRIAL IN SYDNEY WITNESS DENIES RUMOUR (United P.A. —By Telegraph — Copyright) Reed. 9 a.m, SYDNEY, To-day. The hearing was continued of the charge of bribery against Michael Fitzgibbons, an omnibus proprietor. He is charged with having attempted to bribe the Chief Secretary of New South Wales, Mr. A. Bruntnell, by an offer of £2OO, to recommend an extra bus route between the suburbs of Gampsie and the Central railway station. Chief Secretary Bruntnell had related that Major Jarvie, a fellow Parliamentarian, brought him a gift of pipes, to which was attached an envelope in which were two £IOO notes. Fitzgibbons was an applicant for a bus route which required Mr. Bruntnell’s official sanction, for which Fitzgibbons had a rival named McNichol. Major Milton Jarvie, M.H.R., continuing his evidence, denied that he had received £3OO from Fitzgibbons for himself or for the National Party funds. Mr. Windeyer, K.C., counsel for Fitzgibbons: Then can you explain why Fitzgibbons, when drawing £2OO from his hank, also withdrew £300? Jarvie: No. Jarvie admitted that when Premier Bavin was discussing the attempt to bribe Mr. Bruntnell, the Premier asked whether there was a rumour about £3OO as well as the £2OO, to which Jarvie replied, “Yes. There is a rumour,” but that he (Jarvie) had no knowledge whether he was implicated.

Mr. Windeyer: What was the rumour? Jarvie: That £SOO had been withdrawn, £2OO having reached Mr. Bruntnell, and there was some suggestion that the £3OO had reached me, which is certainly not correct. The police tendered a statement by Fitzgibbons, in which he declared that he had withdrawn £SOO, not £2OO, which was intended for the party funds. The case was adjourned till Monday.