POLICE ENQUIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 October 1920, Page 5

POLICE ENQUIRY.

A DETECTIVE'S ALUBGATIONB. ! EVIDENCE AT A TRIAL, - By Tdlßgraph,—Frew AmocUUou. / Wellington, Oct. A % The first sitting of the conunlssioa art ' .'* up to inquire into the circumstances ■: ' which led to the resignation of Detect tive-Sergeant Michael Mason, and «li legations made by Mason against the police administration in Wellington, wm held to-day. Mr.'justice Stringer presided. With him on the Bench wa» Superintendent A- H. Wright (Attokland). ,Mr. M. Myers appeared for Mason, and Mr. C. P. Skerrett, KJO. for the senior police officers . Norwood, Inspector McHveney, and De-tective-Sergeant Rawle), against whom Mason's allegations are in the main ' directed. Mr. Macassey appeared for the Police Department, and Mr; P. Levi is watching, J;he proceedings on bffcaU of Richard Sw'agsland. The trouble arose out of the prosecution of two men upon a joint charge of having stolen a large number of sanitary pans belonging to the Petone Borough Council. Mason, -who was in, charge of the case, protested in his evidenoe in ■ the Magistrate's Court against having been instructed, to swear informations- • against the two men (John Millanto and Ernest Miles), as he had reason to believe that Richard Swagsland was responsible of the theft, as well a« of a long period of systematic thieving of. the council's property. Following the protest, Mason was called upon to (explain his conffuct, and was, he alleged,' placed in such a position, that no other course was open but to resign. A true hill was found against Millanto and Miles, but the jury acquitted both. Amongst the allegations made by Mason were, that he was required to swear informations against Miles and Milkato when his investigations led him to an opposite conclusion, and he had so re« • ported; that at the hearng of the cue material in favor of the accused was not brought out by the prosecution; that, because he himself in evidence brought out such matters and thought it his duty to do so, he was called upon for an explanation of what was called his "surprising conduct"; that when the two accused were committed, for trjal the case was taken out of his hands and handed over to another officer; that lie (Mason) was subjected by a superior officer to humiliation and his position in the force made untenable, merely because he had, in accordance with what he considered his duty, stated in court matters which opinion operated, or might operate, in favdr of the accused persons; that after he had tendered hia resignation an effort was made to force' him into a position which would h*vo the effect of preventing a public inquiry. Wellington, Last Night. At the police inquiry this afternoon, Mason, in evidence, stated that shortly after the Supreme Court disposal of the case against Miles and Millanto, ha handed'br his resignation, hut up to the present time he had not received his discharge. ' r. \ Witness was lengthily cross-enuoDfeii by Mr. Skerrett, who, referring to *H« ncss' conversation with Inspector McIlvency in the 'street, asked: 'W4 ystt say to tlio Inspector, 'For God's sake don't prosecute them. If you do, .Ay evidence will get them off?'" Witness replied that the conversation! related to the prosecution of a third party, and not Millanto and Miles. "Did y/fu not say to the Inspector, % means the end of me jin the servient" "I did not use those words. I marejjv said that I would tell the whole troth. even if it were-the last oase I AW? prosecuted." The inquiry was adjourned till to morrow. ~ ' ,