Finance director makes 1st appearance on fraud charges

The man police believe is at the centre of Newfoundland and Labrador's legislative spending scandal made his first appearance Tuesday in provincial court.

Bill Murray, 53, is facing six charges, including fraud, breach of trust and uttering a forged document.

Murray, who had been director of finance at the house of assembly, remained silent during several encounters with journalists outside provincial court.

Murray's case was set over until November.

Lawyer Averill Baker is seeking more information from the Crown about its case.

The Newfoundland and Labrador government said it suspended Murray in June, when Auditor General John Noseworthy began releasing a series of reports that detailed how millions of dollars of legislature funds were spent.

Noseworthy determined that five politicians received about $1.6 million more than theywere entitledto in constituency allowances, and that about $2.6 million was paid to a handful of companies one of them owned by either Murray or his wife in untendered contracts for things like fridge magnets, memorabilia and gold rings.

Four former politicians from three parties have also been charged in the same investigation. They are all expected to make court appearances this fall.

The government has also launched a civil suit against Murray, claming a breach of trust in the legislative spending scandal.In court documents filed in his defence, Murray denied wrongdoing in the case, and claimed that he had not been suspended by the government,as he had already been on medical leave.