Bowers Says Ely’s Position Played a Role in Advances : Trial: The Moorpark College president testifies that he never asked if the trustee’s wife attended the conventions.

The president of Moorpark College testified Thursday that his decisions to approve half a dozen travel advances for Ingrid Ely were influenced by her husband’s position on the Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Also, Stanley L. Bowers testified in Superior Court that he never asked whether Ingrid Ely actually attended any of the conventions with her husband, Trustee James (Tom) Ely.

“I didn’t ask,” Bowers told the jury during the conspiracy and embezzlement trial of the Elys. “It was my understanding that she was going to attend the various meetings.”

Ingrid Ely, the former president of the Moorpark College Alumni Assn., is accused of traveling to the conventions without ever attending a meeting, despite the fact that she received more than $3,000 for her expenses from the college, Deputy Dist. Atty. Carol J. Nelson said.

The Elys are charged with conspiring to steal more than $15,000 in district funds by padding their district expense accounts between April, 1988, and January, 1990.

Also on Thursday at the trial, Judge Lawrence Storch ruled that, at least for now, a secretly recorded videotape and two letters district Chancellor Barbara Derryberry said Tom Ely wrote to her in 1990 will not be presented to the jury.

The Elys recorded a private conversation that they had with Derryberry concerning top officials of the district.

The chancellor alleged during testimony Tuesday that Ely threatened in the letters to expose the contents of the tape if she did not authorize payment of his expenses.

The tape, which was played for spectators after the jury left the courtroom Wednesday, was nearly inaudible.

Storch said that playing the tape and presenting the letters as evidence would only confuse the jurors.

“They offer little support to the people’s allegations,” Storch said. “I don’t think it is worth much.”

Nelson has argued that the tape and the letters demonstrate that Tom Ely meant to threaten Derryberry and other officials of the district.

Storch said he may consider the issue again after the defense presents its case.

Meanwhile, Bowers testified Thursday that he allowed Ingrid Ely to take the trips because he felt that it would benefit the college.

The college president said he was unaware as to whether some of Ingrid Ely’s expenses on the trips were paid for through her husband’s district expense accounts, as alleged by prosecutors.

Nelson said Ingrid Ely received a travel advance of $975 from the college to pay for tickets and other expenses that her husband apparently had charged to the district.

Ingrid Ely resigned from the alumni association following the allegations against her.

Despite pressure from district officials, Tom Ely has refused to step down from the college board.

The trustee has been charged with two dozen counts of fraud and embezzlement and one count of conspiracy. Ingrid Ely is charged with one count each of conspiracy, grand theft and embezzlement.

If convicted, Tom Ely could spend up to six years in prison and Ingrid Ely up to three years in prison.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Monday morning, when Bowers is scheduled to be cross-examined by the Elys’ attorneys, James M. Farley and Willard P. Wiksell.

In an unrelated matter, district trustees are in the process of firing Bowers from his job in the wake of questionable financial dealings between the college and its private foundation.