PBCN TLE Audit In Hands Of RCMP

PBCN TLE Audit In Hands Of RCMP

Monday, August 28, 2006 at 14:24

The chief of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation has given the RCMP documents related to his band’s missing Treaty Land Entitlement money.

Chief Harold Linklater has told CBC Radio that he has forwarded a copy of an audit into the affair to the Mounties.

Roughly $3.7 million was withdrawn from a band TLE trust account over four months in late 2004 and early 2005, just prior to a band election.

This, despite the fact the TLE trustees had previously ordered the account to be frozen.

Prince Albert Grand Council chief Ron Michel was the PBCN’s chief at the time and admitted he was one of several people with signing authority on that account — but couldn’t explain where all the money went.

After Linklater took over from Michel last year, Linklater promised he would get the authorities involved.

However, until now, he had refused to say whether the RCMP had been formally asked by the band to investigate.