The Chronicle

SALISBURY, Thursday, March 1, 1968 — A Select Committee’s findings on the conduct of an accountant who failed to produce the balance sheets of certain Portuguese companies in connection with the erection of oil storage tanks for the Rhodesian government in Beira, when required to do so by the Committee of Public Accounts, was referred back to the select committee today after a five-and-three quarters of an hour debate in Parliament.

The matter had been investigated by a select committee of privileges that the refusal of the accountant, Mr LJ Dominion, to produce the documents that had prejudiced inquiries into the expenditure of public funds.

The committee’s report found that Mr Dominion’s conduct did not constitute a contempt of Parliament and that no breach of privilege had been committed.

Several members challenged the committee’s conclusion and drew attention to the fact that Mr Dominion, although he had produced extract from the balance sheets, still did not produce the balance sheets themselves when directed to do so in a summons issued by the Speaker and the Clerk of Parliament in terms of the Powers and Privileges of Parliament Act.

He told the Committee of Public Accounts on the day that they should have been produced that his client would not permit him to do so and that he had been instructed to hand them to his client’s attorney.

The attorney was authorized to permit their examination in his office in the presence of the attorney and Mr Dominion. Mr Fawcett Phillips (RF, Hillside) in today’s debate described Mr Dominion’s action as “wilful and deliberate” contempt of Parliament and suggested that if Mr Dominion had demanded the documents back, the attorney would have to surrender them.

Mr Fawcett Phillips believed that Mr Dominion should have had the opportunity of defending himself before the privileges committee and said he believed the committee erred in deciding not to call him.