FROM THE ARCHIVES:Signed blank cheques and other hints of electoral skullduggery emerged during the criminal trial of three ex-members of the Free State army who were charged with misappropriating money with phoney receipts in the uncertain political atmosphere immediately after the Civil War in 1923. – JOE JOYCE
IT WAS midnight before the jury returned their verdict, in the Central Criminal Court, Dublin, yesterday, in the case of fraudulent conversion of Government money.
After an absence from court of two hours they found a verdict of “guilty” against Hugh Callan, Robert B Harold and Michael F Conway, who were charged with converting to their own use £3,466 10s, while employed in the Army Finance Department in West Cork during 1923. There were 27 counts to the indictment, and the case was that the money was misappropriated by means of forged receipts purporting to emanate from traders and others who did not exist.
To their verdict of guilty on all counts the jury added a rider that the government was greatly to blame for permitting men with such paltry salaries to deal with such large sums of money.
[Earlier] Michael F Conway was examined by Mr McCarthy . He denied forging vouchers or receipts, and said that he certified accounts after investigation when no officer was available for the purpose.
Cross-examined by Mr Carrigan , he said that he was getting £2 10s a week in the Army. Before he joined he was earning £4 12s. 6d. and commission as a grocer’s assistant and traveller. He was led into joining the Army by “a trap”, and . . . made “the best of it” while in the Army.
The prisoner Hugh Callan then went into the witness box, and in reply to Mr Lynn , mentioned that as a result of his investigations in West Cork a number of Army officers and traders were arrested. They were acquitted by a military court of inquiry.
While in Cork in 1923 between £40,000 and £50,000 a month was paid out to claimants. In July and August about £20,000 was paid. He did not know how much was paid by cheque.
Prior to the general election of [August] 1923 it was represented to him that the government desired to clear up all outstanding accounts in order to avoid opposition to the government candidates. When he suggested the probability of fraud and irregularity, he was told the State was prepared to lose £100,000 in order to win seats at the election.
When he left for West Cork in July, 1923, he was given a number of cheques, signed, in blank, and when these were exhausted, and owing to certain irregularities he opened an account in his own name. By this means he paid the accounts furnished to him.
He first learned of the complaints concerning his accounts when he read extracts from the report of the Auditor-General published in The Irish Times on the 22nd April last. He wrote to the authorities in Dublin protesting against some of the statements in the report.
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