Evening star., 1953-05-02
u. ). Loses in Move
To Seize $4,000 in
Black Market Case

A Government ATTEMPT tc
seize at least part of $4,000 il
claims an Air Force chief war
rant officer made in the currency
black market in Turkey col
lapsed in the Fairfax Circuit
Court yesterday.
An attorney representing the
Government took a non-sui1
when testimony he was offering
was ruled inadmiSsable.
This ended the trial, but with
out prejudice to bringing the
case to trial again. The Gov
ernment indicated it would seek
a new trial.
The Air Force man is Kenneth
E. Robertson, "a. According tc
the Government, he il now in a
Turkish jail serving a sentence
in lieu of a $4,000 fine for vio-
lating the Turkish currency
regulations.
Robertson served in the Office
of the Air Attache in Ankara
The Government asserts that he
handled $431, 900 in United
States funds, and while his ac-
counts with the Government
were in order, he made the
profits in black-market lire.
Prosecution Fails.
Special Assistant United States
Attorney William P. Woolls, jr.,
attempted to trace the alleged
profits to RoberSon'S bank ac-
count at Danville, Pa. With
James J. Kerr of the Air Force
Office of Special Investigators
on the stand, Mr.. Woolls at
tempted to get into the record
an analysis of Roberson's bank
account.
Already in evidence was a
deposition by an officer of the
Danville bank. Mr.. Kerr said
this deposition listed checks de-
posited-they totaled close to
$10,000-excluding checks rep
resenting his army pay and
allotments to his wife. Mrs.
Robertson now lives in the Will
ston Apartments in Fairfax
County, according to Rothwell
j. Lillard. appointed by the
court to represent Robertson.
Mr.. Lillard objected to testi-
mony by Mr.. Kerr on the checks,
maintaining that the proper wit
ness would be the banks CASH
ier. He said the same held true
in connection with a bank &C
count of about $4,000 in a bank
in the Pentagon.
Judge Paul Brown sustained
Mr.. Lizards objection. Mr..
Woolls then asked for a continu-
ance. Mr.. Lillard again objected
and the Judge said he did not
believe a continuance would be
proper. Mr.. Woolls then said
he would be forced to ask for a
non-suit.
Answers Questions.
While Mr.. Kerr was on the
stand ne was permitted to
answer some questions about the
tangled web of finances the Gov
ernment was trying to unravel.
He identified 10 Treasury checks,
each for $4,000. six OF which had
been cashed by Robertson at the
United States Embassy in An
kara.
The other four checks, Mr..
Kerr said. had been banked in
this country by a Zurich, Swift
Zerland. firm. The Governments S
contention is this: That these
and other checks were cashed
originally in the black market.
That Robertson would account at
the official rate of exchange for
Turkish lire, keeping the extra
lire obtained at the black market
rate. With this Turkish money
he would make purchases or cash
checks for other Americans.
Another witness yesterday was
James R. Brownf1eld of 1885 Pop
lar drive. Falls Church. He tes-
titled he purchased the house
there for Robertson, making the
down payment and paying off a
second deed of trust with funds
received from Robertson in Tur-
key. The Government is trying
to attach Roberson's equity in
the house.
Mr.. BroWnfield testified to re-
ceiving a number of checks from
Robertson. He summarized that
$500 had been received for the
house. 1900 for a loan to him
and $700 for a piano which was
purchased here and shipped to
Robertson.
He said his wife and Mrs. Rob-
erson were girlhood friends in
Pennsylvania. He also said Mrs.
Robertson has said that the 81. 300
loan was considered Cancelled.
Instead of paying rent to Rob-
erson, he explained, he is making
navnoentS IN the first deed 0f