Intimidation and Legal Threats
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January 11, 2005
Honourable Martin Cauchon, Justice Minister of B.C.
Honourable Irwin Cotler, Justice Minister of Canada
Honourable Attorney General Geoff Plant
Auditor General of B.C.
Auditor General of Canada
Your Honours:
We continue to have accountability concerns with our Nisga?a moneys and we have recently had problems with our elections, including persons who were involved with the Terrace mismanaged and stolen moneys were allowed to run in our Nisga?a Elections. As other complaints are directed our way ? we are beginning to understand why. Persons who would be considered undischarged bankrupts and/or who blatantly mismanage our Nisga?a moneys are allowed to be candidates for our elections. Many of our government representatives seem to rotate between squandering our Nisga?a moneys until the companies go belly up and then they move on to being government representatives. These moneys could have been used by our Nation ? especially in our medical - all we keep hearing is that there is not enough moneys.
Under our Registry of Nisga?a Laws Nisga?a Election Regulations, 2004
Part 4 ? Nominations, Candidates, and Requirements of Successful Candidates states:
16. Prescribed offences
(1) For the purpose of section 14(2), the following crimes are prescribed offences, which disqualify an individual from candidacy for election ? includes:
( c) crimes involving fraud.
We are asking the Canadian government to step up to their plates and immediately order a systematic forensic audit. This sophisticated racketeering can?t go on at the expense of the Nisga?a Nation. People that are stealing moneys have to be punished to the fullest extent of the Canadian law.
Nisga?a Lisims Government and Wilp Si?ayuukhl Nisga?a representatives are obligated to ?provide good, effective and accountable government to the Nisga?a Nation as a whole.?
I am including this excerpt from the Audited Financial Statements of the Nisga?a Lisims Government which depicts two separate bodies Wilp Si?ayuukhl Nisga?a and Executive.
The Nisga?a Lisims Government audited financial statements include ?The NLG comprises:
a) an elected Legislative House known as Wilp Si?ayuukhl Nisga?a through which the Nisga?a Nation enacts legislation and perform the duties, functions, and obligations of government.
b) an Executive which receives delegated authority from Wilp Si?ayuukhl Nisga?a and authority from the Constitution of the Nisga?a Nation to conduct the duties, functions and obligations of government
c) A council of elders which may adivse NLG on traditional matters. 2/41
Wilp Si?ayuukhl Nisga?a is comprised of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, President, Secretary-Treasurer, Chairperson of the Executive, Chair person of the Council of Elders, and the Elected Village Chiefs and Councillors and the Elected Urban Local Representatives.
The Executive is comprised of the President, Secretary-Treasurer, Chairperson of the Executive , Chair of the Council of Elders, Chiefs and one representative from each Urban local.
Basically both bodies are comprised of the same persons - is this not a conflict of interest when the Executive who receives delegated authority from Wilp Si?ayuukhl Nisga?a are actively involved in voting on their own agendas?
I started approximately 2 years ago trying to expose the Terrace Board of Directors of their pathetic pretence of not knowing how to manage our moneys. This was just a deception so that moneys could have been mismanaged and stolen continuously with Nisga?a Lisims Government (Mafia) approval. Together with the gaming and Lisims Government contributions of approximately 80 to 95% of $1,500,000 has been so called mismanaged ? stolen. That seemed to be not enough so the Terrace Nisga?a Society Board of Directors and Skeenass Board of Directors employed persons/advisors to write every Tom, Dick and Harry to get financial contributions for the poor Nisga?as living in Terrace. These advisors receive tax free commissions of approximately 10 ? 20% of the total receipts and the rest to the active Terrace Nisga?a Society Board of Directors. Rumour is that approximately $350,000 of these funds/grants were deposited in a private account. Apparently this same practice is being used in numerous Nass Valley villages with a select few benefitting from moneys applied for the majority.
At our August 2003 membership meeting in Terrace, I was threatened by the Nisga?a Lisims Government Chairperson (Herb Morven) that I could be liable for sending the emails asking for help. After our June 2003 meeting, the Terrace Nisga?a Society Board of Directors hired a lawyer with our moneys and supposedly under his advice the Board of Directors refused to follow the membership motions and provide any information ? contrary to our constitutional right. Now the same actions are being used by the Nisga?a Lisims Government, Greenville Government and their accountant/Administrator.
Ms. Sylvia Stephens, wrote a letter (attach #1) to the Credit Union on November 14, 2004. On December 20, 2004 she had received a letter (attach #2) from the lawyer that she was going to be sued by the Greenville Village Government and their Programs Administrator Ms. Tiffany Moore. I had asked Nisga?a Lisims Government for $50,000 so I could hire a lawyer ? no answer. Sylvia Stephens also applied for $50,000 so she could hire a lawyer to deal with her complaints in the court of law. No moneys for her either, but there is no problem for our Nisga?a Lisims Government Mafia members who resort to legal threats when they have to answer to the general Nisga?a public ? especially those who call it as they see and experience it. Who had approved that our Nisga?a moneys are to be used for private law suits? Laxgalts?ap Village Government again borrowed over a half a million dollars from Nisga?a Lisims Government (OUR MONEYS) towards the end of November 2004.
Mr. David Wotherspoon is threatening to file a claim in the Courts regarding Defamation of Tiffany Moore and stating that he represents her and Laxgalts?ap Village Government (LVG.) Apparently Mrs. Moore and indirectly, the LVG are wrongly accused of mismanaging village funds, among many other things.
Regarding the lawyers # 1 point - Laxgalts?ap Village Government March 31, 2004 (signed off May 14/04) audited financial position Page 4 (attach #3). As you can see under Assets: Due from Gitxatin Housing Society $955,114. How could this be used as an asset when Laxgalts?ap Village government knows they will not receive it as Gitxatin Housing Society does not have this money. The amount recorded in accounts receivable can represent an economic asset only if it reflects debts owed for which Laxgalts?ap Village government can sue or can collect on the same basis as receivables from unrelated parties. If not, then such amounts should be excluded or, at least, discounted. Related party transactions are normally disclosed in a separate note to the financial statements.
Further more on March 28, 2004 (3 days prior to the fiscal year end March 31, 2004) Laxgalts?ap Village Government authorized the write off of $581,531.11 (attach #4) Note memo dated April 14, 2004 written by Tiffany Moore yet somehow according to page 4 money is coming in - maybe Mrs. T. Moore can explain where Laxgalts?ap Village Government is going to come up with $955,114 assets to cover the short fall??!! Also page 4 in Gitxatin Housing Society (attach # 5) under Liabilities and surplus (deficit) Due to Laxgalts?ap Village Government $960,881 ? why the discrepancy of $5,767??
2) As you can see we have 3 different documents and 3 different amounts of moneys owing ? write off or used as assets. It would be interesting to see the true picture.
3) Laxgalts?ap Village Government page 17 (attach #6) ? as moneys are flowing to the nation as a whole with the disbursements done through Nisga?a Lisims Government offices ? Sylvia Stephens and other interested or concerned citizens have a right to see Budgets and all (non confidential) source documents for Education, Governance and Administration, Income Assistance, Social Programs because it has to be determined who did the budgets and who was the incompetent person that approved them or what projects were cancelled that such an astronomical surplus was realized yet people were told that there was no moneys when they require services or funding. Were the moneys that were budgeted for the general Nisga?a deliberately withheld to bail out all the insolvent Corporations? Laxgalts?ap Chief and Council are part of our Nisga?a Lisims Government squandering OUR moneys like drunken sailors ? while many of our people remain destitute?
Our Nisga?a Financial Administration Act ? the law drafted by and enacted by Wilp Si?ayuukhl Nisga?a of which the Laxgalts?ap Chief and Council are members of ? clearly states on Page 57:
Transfer between funds
95
(1) If the amount to the credit of a fund, other than the core programs and services fund, is greater than required, a Nisga?a Village Government may transfer all or part of the amount to another fund established under this Division, but the total amount transferred from a fund in a fiscal year must not exceed the net surplus in that fund at the beginning of the fiscal .
(2) Subsection (1) does not permit a transfer out of the core programs and services fund.
Also
Prohibited, and permitted, businesses
154
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this Act or the regulations, the Nisga?a Nation, a Nisga?a Village, and a Nisga?a Institution must not
(a) carry on a business as a proprietor or trustee,
(b) acquire any interest in a partnership as a general partner, or
( c) act in the capacity of trustee in respect of any property used or held in the course of carrying on a business.
(2) As permitted by the executive for the Nisga?a Nation or as permitted by a Nisga?a Village Government for the Nisga?a Village, a Nisga?a Institution may engage in a business that
(a) is ancillary or incidental to the provision of programs or services, or other functions of government,
(b) is not a trade or business engaged in primarily for the purposes of profit, and that in the opinion of the executive at any particular or future time, cannot result in any material liability or otherwise expose the property or resources of the Nisga?a Nation or the Nisga?a Village to any material risk,
These are some of the many laws that we have looked to in the last 2 years that are enacted by our Government representatives for ?show and tell? ? as you can see there is no accountability to the Nisga?a citizens and no adherence to their own laws ? what kind of example are they setting for the community and our young people?
4) Laxgalts?ap Village Government page 17 (attach #6) Contributions to Community ? owned Enterprises ? Gitxatin Housing Society $581,531, Gitxatin Housing Society page 6 (attach #7) forgiveness of loan from Laxgalts?ap Village Government $581,531 ? in Tiffany?s memo (attach #4) it is a writeoff - this definitely needs explaining ? are we using monopoly money without any currencies. Also how does it end up basically as a revenue, funding, or surplus???? Paper transfers???
5) Gitxatin Housing Society?s total liabilities $1,917,413. p 4 attach #5
Forgiveness or contribution from Laxgalts?ap Village Govt. $581,531 2004 p 6 attach #7
They have current liabilities of $1,146,658 and current assets of 727,791 - Who exactly owes this money ? or will there be just a name change?
6) Laxgalts?ap Village Government page 12 9a - where is this mortgage in the Gitxatin Housing Society?s Financial statements? What are the mortgages for if there has been no houses built in the last few years?
Regarding the Greenville Construction Company Ltd. (GCC)
1) Laxgalts?a Village Govt page 6 (attach #7) Decrease in loans rec. in 2004 $1,595,437
Page 4 in Laxgalts?ap Loans Receivable 2004 $0 2003 $1,595,437
Greenville Construction Company page 4 (attach #3) Due to Laxgalts?ap Village Government in 2003 $1,595,437 in 2004 $0 - What happened?? And where?s the transparency???
Even if they took the property and sold it at book value 1,971,528
Less the 2004 property plant and Equip ( 463,004)
(available cash)??? 1,508,524
2003 long term debt (attach 8) 869,168
less current portion 2004 (25,000)
less 2004 long term debt (attach 8) (37,500)
Paid? 806,668 Paid? (806,668)
Paid? (1,595,437)
Paid?? (2,402,105)
Cash beg of year $86,377 + NI (74,102)
+ amort 46,668 + allow for bad debts 5,888 64,831
So who performed the disappearing magic Laxgalts?ap Village Govt loans rec $1,595,437
And Greenville Construction Company due to Laxgalts?ap Village Gov $1,595,437
And the $806,688
2) Greenville Construction Company - for a company that has absolutely no money?s they sure know how to pay down their loans.
3) Memo from T. Moore
GDC 924,535.89
GCC 89,370.00
1,013,905.89
Greenville Construction Company page 6 (attach #9) forgiveness of debt owing to Laxgalts?ap Village Government Note 2 $687,239.
Laxgalts?ap Village Government page 17 (attach #6) Contributions to Community owned enterprises Greenville Construction Company Ltd in 2004 $690,312
Somehow ? in the transfer from one account to another ? someone managed to lose $3,073.
4) Note under assets due from Gitxatin Housing Society $19,972 Attach #8
How could this be an asset when Gitxatin Housing Society is a money pit?
Laxgalts?ap Forest Company Ltd. ? another of the ?doozeys?
Who were the auditors of Laxgalts?ap Forest Corporation Ltd. The audited financial statements distributed to the Laxgalts?ap members appears to be legitimate; however, the auditors letter is not signed and there is no company logo to designate which Accounting Firm has produced these audited reports which includes figures incorporated in the Laxgalts?ap audited Financial statements ? are there other audited financial statements ? elsewhere? It appears that whoever prepared the financial statements did not use source documents but relied on hearsay of who ever was giving the figures and moving the moneys around. Also the people were not told that Laxgalts?ap Village Government does not have the cash for the deferred revenues and the guarantees for the loans. Laxgalts?ap cannot claim that they are strapped for cash because they were ?trying to meet the needs of the people.?
2) Laxgalts?ap Village Government page 17 (attach #6) Expenditure Contributions to Community ? owned enterprises: Laxgalts?ap Forest Company Ltd 2004 $134,093 Page 17 (attach #6) Memo from T. Moore (attach #4) $81,319.00
Laxgalts?ap Forest Company Ltd Page 6 Foregiveness of loan from LVG 2004 80,000 page 6 Attach #11
Who misplaced 54,093. Where is it? That to me is theft as 3,073 is from GCC.
3) Newsletter LVG September 16, 2004 Logging Trucks from all these companies are for sale. The limited partners have their liability restricted to the amount of money they have invested. It appears that Laxgalts?ap Village Government is not legally a limited partner so why is LVG liable for all the liabilities of the now apparently defuncted company?? What kind of deals did the LVG executives enter in to? How stupid do they think we are? Who?s benefitted by Laxgalts?ap Village Government executives? decisions to write down the corporate debts (but it was the Nisga?a Nations moneys) ? EVEN THESE WHOLE PAPER TRANSACTIONS ARE QUESTIONABLE!!! Certainly the community didn?t benefit as again only the friends and relatives of the Mafia made their moneys.
In our Terrace local, we had similar partnership in SkeeNass which in 2002 ? 2003 year did apparently contract for BC Hydro (28,000) This contract cost Terrace Nisga?a Society approximately $220,000. BOD paid themselves almost 3X the value of the contract. Now because the sole shareholder was Charles McKay he had stolen all the assets and left Terrace Nisga?a Society with the debt. It was set up the same way as all these money pit companies in Greenville. Also they are getting money that are supposed to go to people but are being given to the corporations in the same manner as it was done here in Terrace.
So as you all can see, we have a systemic problem - our Mafia is stealing money from the needy and gives it to the corporations that are employing themselves, family and friends
As you can see our Nisga?a moneys were continually given to subsidize the ?corporate welfare assistance? for the few so that they could continue to pay themselves even though they had it in black and white that the companies were money pits ? financial sink holes.
It appears that someone has borrowed more than what had been agreed upon, as in the contingent liabilities section ( c ) the village government provided a guarantee to the Royal Bank for a maximum of $300,000. So how is it that no one gets charged for committing the assets of Laxgalts?ap Village Government without anyone knowing. Obviously other funds were borrowed because Tiffany said that they were not secured by Laxgalts?ap Village Government. Who owns the corporation anyway ? where is Alcan in all this again?
Laxgalts?ap Village Government appears to happily commit public funds they do not have.
They just borrowed close to $600,000 towards the end of November 2004 - these are funds that are for all Nisga?as ? not just the privileged!!!
The financial statements do not fully disclose the potential claims that could be filed by creditors. This includes ? again moneys for all Nisga?as.
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In the other letters it appears that nothing has been done to pay back this loan to the Nisga?a Nation (OUR MONEYS). It appears that this may be handled the ?Nisga?a Way? as Martin Adams, explained the moneys squandered and mismanaged in Terrace.
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Sylvia Stephens and other concerned Nisga?a members have asked for prior years audited financial statements (without any results) ? is it because it was a private corporation until it ran into financial trouble? Mr. Leeson, Chief Councillor, in the letter to the community members, is claiming that there is a partnership agreement between Lagalts?ap Village Government and Gitxatin Development Corporation dated June 30, 2002; however, I am not a lawyer, but reading the letter from Brown Karras and Sanderson ? it appears that Mitch Verde is the sole shareholder and holds 10 classes of A Common Shares which makes him the owner of the corporation and he is the one who should be responsible for all the debts incurred ? unless he has a partnership with Alcan Forestry or somebody else. It appears it might be in partnership with Alcan as Mr. Verde appoints all the board of directors from outside of the Nass Valley ? there is no way that Mr. Verde woke up one morning and decided to fire the old board of directors and hire the new board of directors from Kitimat and Terrace. Also he claims that Laxgalts?ap Village Government has taken the legal actions necessary to protect the Gitxatin Development Corporation for the future benefit of the citizens ? he needs to explain to all the Nisga?a concerned citizens why the village government is interested in private corporations with a baggage of debt ? as he is playing with all OUR NISGA?A moneys ? not monopoly money.
In the Laxgalts?ap Village Government Financial statements P 9
4. INVESTMENT IN GITXATIN LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
The investment in Gitxatin Limited Partnership reresent 999 limited partnership units own by the Village Government. As the Limited partnership has not earned income, the investment has been recorded at cost.
This is not factual, as Mr. Verde owns all the shares and there may be some kind of private agreement with Alcan Forest Corporation - it?s clear that it is a private company because it appears that Willard Martin Chief Councillor was begging Mitch Stevens, Secretary Treasurer for both Gitxatin Development Corporation and Laxgalts?ap Forest Corporation to basically talk to the Royal Bank about their loans and how is it that KN&V allowed this to slip by in the audited financial statements when they were involved with the reorganizations.
September 16, 2004 it appears that they already ran out of money again because in a depressed forestry market, they are selling 4 logging trucks - apparently at give away prices.
Just maybe, they are finally shutting down the money pit.
RE: Memo April 14/04 Writeoff Tiffany Moore
4 companies 1,676,756
Gitxatin Housing Society 581,531.11 Writeoff
2003 Total liabilities $870,734
2004 Total liabilities $1,917,413
Where is the writeoff of the loan as instead the liabilities more than doubled.
Due to Laxgalts?ap Village Government on page 4 Balance sheet GHS
2003 was 834,048
2004 is 960,881
Increase of 126,833 Not exactly writeoff
Instead on page 6 Forgiveness of loan from Laxgalts?ap Village Government 581,531 but this is not a writeoff of the loan.
This is new money transferred from Laxgalts?ap Village Government page 17.
Where did the 581,531.11 writeoff of the loan go and why did Nelson Leeson, Chief Councillor request this information? From this it appears he was not privy to this information which begs another question ? who exactly authorized this writeoff??
If some how this writeoff actually occurred and I?m not able to see it, then the Gitxatin housing society in existence for only 22 months managed to create a total liability of $1,917,413
Memo Plus write off 581,531.11
LVG Page 17 plus contribution Attach #6 581,531
Total cost to the Greenville people 3,080,475.11
Plus LVG page 37 236,300
Plus expenditures from page 6
10 months 03 + 900,940 Attach #7
04 + 1,289,793 ?
2 months 03 124,541 LVG p 37
All this money was spent to acquire assets of 2,133,970 page 4 Attach #5
So in other words it cost 5,050,518 (5,632,049 ? 581,531 write off didn?t occur?) to generate total assets of 2,133,970 page 4
Greenville Construction Company LTD prepared from the accounts without audited figures used in the LVG audited statements.
Memo Tiffany Moore writeoff of the loan to Greenville Construction Company 89,370.00
2003 total liabilities 2,850,367
2004 total liabilities 434,024
As you can see there is a writedown of 2,436,857
Due to LVG on page 4 Greenville Construction Company 03 1,595,437
04 0
this company at the end of 2003 had a net income of 127,874 Page 6 assets of 2,490,698 page 4 for 2003 In 2004 assets are only 687,492 this includes Due from Gitxatin Housing Society 19,972 no money and the total liabilities 434,024
Assets that were sold after the depreciation were in the neighborhood of 1.1 million.
The bigger question is how much was actually received as there is not many idiots that would pay book value for used assets. ? our Nisga?a citizens need to know what the losses are on disposal of assets purchased with moneys that are for all Nisga?a.
Assets end of 2004 687,492 page 4 Attach #8
Total liabilities before any writeoff (2003) 2,870,881 plus the writeoff memo 89,370.00
Page 17 contribution Laxgalts?ap Village Government 690,312 attach #6
Greenville Construction Company 687,239 attach #9 money lost in paper transit?? 3,073
Plus whatever losses in the sale of assets????
Again it cost Nisga?a citizens 3,647,490 plus the losses incurred with the sale of assets to get assets of 940,960 plus proceeds of sale of assets .
Laxgalts?ap Forest Corporation (bogus audited financial statements?)
From the T. Moore memo writeoff $81,319.00 for the year end of April 1, 2003 to March 31, 2004. This company (approximately 4 years old)
2003 total liabilities 3,544,142 page 4 attach #10
2004 total liabilities 3,048,244 ?
It appears that the liabilities were reduced by 495,898 also the assets from 2003 848,947 to 177,217 were reduced by 671,730. What exactly was done ? and are there source documents to determine this?
At the end of 2004 Assets are 1,259,276 p 4 Attach #10
Total liabilities 3,048,244 ?
Memo write off 81,319 ?
LVG Page 17 contribution 134,093 attach #6
Note LFC page 6 only 80,000 attach #11 54093???? Missing in transit
Shareholders Equity deficit 1,788,968 attach #10
5,052,624
It appears that Alcan is a general partner of Laxgalts?ap Forest Corporation ? so why are all the liabilities the responsibility of Laxgalts?ap Forest Corporation whose liabilities and guarantees for the banks are held by the Village Government ? or is this another ?corporate welfare system? for the mafia?
Assets Gitxatin Development Corporation ?????
Assets for Laxgalts?ap Forest Corporation 1,259,276
Assets for Greenville Construction Company 940,960 plus proceeds of sale of assets
Assets of Greenville Housing Society 2,133,970
Total assets 4,334,206
Liabilities (cost to produce assets) LFC 5,052,624
? ? GHC 5.271,208 (plus losses of sale of assets.
? ? GCC 3,647,490
Plus phantom company from
Memo T. Moore memo Gitxatin Development Corporation with apparently at least 924,535.89 liability to Laxgalts?ap Village government. No audited financial statements
So if all assets are sold for the maximum value Laxgalts?ap Village Government will still own !0,561,651.89
Total liabilities and cost to produce assets is 14,895,857.89 - which accounts did all this money come from and who will be paying it all ??? That works out to well over 3.5 million a year.
How was all this money acquired for all these investments???? Who all loaned the moneys, and what guarantees were used???????
Gitxatin Development Corporation is a rather interesting corporation as it does not have audited financial statements, apparently a new entity yet already according to the memo from Tiffany Moore the need to write off 924,535.89 loan. It is obvious that the company should have audited financial statements as Laxgalts?ap Village Government page 6 under investing activities and page 7 ?1 Accounting policies (d) clearly mentions the partnership
Page 38 investment fund GLP 999
1) Ms. Moore had told the lawyer that LVG and Housing Society are in the process of signing an agreement and LVG will transfer housing money to the Society. We cannot find the $2 million in the Laxgalts?ap Village Government Financial Statements March 31, 2004 ? where are they ? as people want to know.
2) No one should have any doubt that the LVG is corrupt. They are the only Mafia I know that is legal and has the ability to make laws as it suits them.
Page 3, Mr. Wothersppon states that Mrs. Moore and LVG were defamed - it should be clear from the few attached documents that Laxgalts?ap Village Council?s conduct amounts to lible as elected representatives for Laxgalts?ap Village Government ? Nisga?a Lisims Government ? Wilpsi?ayuukhl Nisga?a - one and the same entity. They along with Mrs. Moore are obligated and responsible to ensure that qualified persons are not only doing the accounting/bookkeeping, but they are also ethically, morally, and legally responsible to ensure that the Nisga?a nations assets are protected and accounted for. I am emphasizing that the Chief and Council as members of Nisga?a Lisims Government they are responsible to the nation as a whole (not to only collect their salaries). Since we in Terrace only get 2 cents on every dollar spent in the Nass Valley, we have the right to know what is happening. So if it?s too much trouble for them to answer the questions to the satisfaction of all Nisga?a, then they should do the right thing and resign.
The economic development funds received from Nisga?a Lisims Government are distributed to a select few without any accountability as to how it is used ? it is like an exorbitant amount of ?social dollars?. Some economic development funds which are applied for as loans are never paid back. Also it was rumoured that Mr. Leeson had received a $40,000 to $80,000 golden handshake upon his retirement ? did he pay that back when he came out of retirement?
The Nisga?a Executives should fire all their advisors and hire all the bootleggers ? I have never heard of a bootlegger who has gone belly up.
Also, the September meeting was the only reporting meeting held in 4 years resulting in a meeting going till after 2 am as there were no financial statements since we entered self government in 2000. Many Nisga?as do not know of the extent to which our moneys have been mismanaged and/or stolen ? We do not even know what our true financial position is because everything is top secret and the only assembly which was held April 2004 was a farce. Because they did not want to deal with finances ? they designated the first 2 days for cultural taboos which really belong in our feasting systems. Approximately 1 day was used to squeeze in 4 years of financial discussions which included Nisga?a Lisims Government, the four villages and 3 locals ? then we heard that all that was distributed was the estimated budget for the year 2004 and 2005.
The financial statements should be explained to the concerned Nisga?a citizens in conjunction with the financial statements and notes included in the figures from all the other entities such as Gitxatin Housing Society, Laxgalts?ap Forest Corporation, Gitxatin Development Corporation, Greenville Construction Company and possibly others. Actual results could therefore differ materially from those indicated or underlying these statements.
The audited and unaudited financial statements form part of the accountability features of our Nisga?a nation and is used to get investors and to apply for credit. When it appears that moneys have been carelessly shuffled around within the Laxgalts?ap Village Government and it?s companies and the Housing Society ? how reliable and believable are these financial reports and all the other reports of Nisga?a Lisims Government? We estimated the total liabilities to be around 14 million ? this is from their figures. This estimate does not include the liabilities in the names of the Laxgalts?ap Village Government (over 3 ? million in mortgages ? no houses built in the last few years ? is this for the holiday homes?)
Furthermore, people such as the concerned Nisga?a citizens and Sylvia Stephens are necessary for the Gitxatin Housing Society to fulfill it?s purposes, otherwise it will end up as our Terrace Society has ? a vehicle to legitimately apply for funds from many sources ? moneys that was not used for our people. The Registrar of Societies leaves it up to the ?community and it?s members? to ensure that the Society is not just a front to benefit a few.
Apparently the Housing Society has not sent in any reports since its establishment. The British Columbia Society laws and regulations are the same as the Nisga?as laws ? ?show and tell? ? no enforcement. It is up to the people to demand viewing source documents as it was established for them.
Willard Martin-Deputy Chief This is off of Laxgalts?ap web site:
Willard is excited to be involved with the council during these years of dramatic change. Now he feels council and government must address these changes and become accountable to the people rather than to Indian Affairs. Council is becoming more progressive and aggressive in their thinking.
There is no room for family politics in this new regime. Present legislation does not respond to personal agendas. Hanging on to the old ways as they were under Indian Affairs - such as housing and staffing - will impede progress. Council members need good academic background to deal with the legislation. As long as our constituents elect people with knowledge and foresight, we will succeed.
The present councillors are committed. Similarly, the village government engages a very capable staff that is most accountable to the community. We have the premise that we are the most efficient and solvent administration within the nation.
Given that the Laxgalts?ap corporations have squandered our Nisga?a moneys with no plans of repayment ? any Nisga?a should be able to view the source documents of these corporations to view who got all the moneys. I suspect that the findings would be as it was in Terrace. It?s unbelievable that they are wasting time and money to produce our laws and regulations and then run to Vancouver for lawyers when they think they have been injured, wrongly accused, or get caught screwing up as with our elections.
WE DEFINITELY REQUIRE A FORENSIC AUDIT AND THAT WHO EVER IS FOUND TO HAVE DELIBERATELY MISMANAGED OR STOLEN OUR MONEYS ? THAT THESE PERSON(S) BE PROSECUTED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT ? I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE STORIES OF HOW PEOPLE CAN WALK AWAY AFTER THEY HAVE SQUANDERED OUR MONEYS AND CREATED HUGE DEBTS AND GO ON TO DIFFERENT POSITIONS. NOW I UNDERSTAND HOW PERSONS FROM TERRACE WERE ABLE TO RUN IN OUR ELECTIONS AFTER THEY SQUANDERED/STOLE OUR MONEYS.
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Note that this is a copy of the letter drafted by the lawyer for Tiffany Moore and Laxgalts?ap Village Government for Sylvia Stephens to sign ? now how much of the Nisga?a moneys was paid to this lawyer and how much was applicable to Sylvia Stephens letter?
This letter of apology that was written by David Wothersppon for Sylvia J. Stephens is nothing short of insulting. If she would have seen the need to apologize ? I?m sure she would have written her own letter - She did not fall of a turnip truck. Maybe Mr. Wotherspoon had heard that on one of our assemblies one of our women pointed a finger at the big shots on the podium and said that none of them up there had a higher education than grade 9 and they pretend to be great leaders and when were they going to listen to the people ? especially the ones with education ? like Sylvia J. Stephens.
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