Former Fond Du Lac Chief Earl Lidguerre seen leaving Prince Albert Court of Queen's Bench on Friday. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Fraud Trial

‘People got a lot of assistance’: Former chief testifies at Mercredi fraud trial

Oct 12, 2019 | 8:00 AM

Testimony has now wrapped up at the Napoleon Mercredi trial, and the final witness to take the stand Friday was the man who initially informed the Saskatchewan RCMP about alleged financial irregularities in his community.

Earl Lidguerre, was a Fond Du Lac band councillor during Mercredi’s tenure from 2009 to 2011 and was subsequently elected chief. He told Crown prosecutor Darren Howarth after he was elected chief, the band carried a half a million dollar deficit. It was soon brought to his attention from concerned band members that there were documents listing several people receiving thousands of dollars from the band as “assistance” he said.

“They wanted answers and I was under pressure for that,” he said, when asked why he went to the RCMP.

Mercredi has been charged with fraud, theft over $5,000 and breach of trust. A line of credit that Prince Albert Grand Council offered the Fond Du Lac band has been a key subject during the opening days of the trial.

Lidguerre said when he was councillor, he was aware some members of the community were receiving cheques. He said he never questioned it at the time because he heard the cheques were for assistance, but that changed once he learned more about band finances as chief.

Pa Votes 2024

LIVE: Results of the municipal election

15h ago

Missing persons

Prince Albert missing persons case approaches one year anniversary

18h ago

Shopting Little Red River

Shooting at Little Red puts two men behind bars

19h ago

“People got a lot of assistance,” he said.

Lidguerre explained how he attempted on several occasions to get answers from the Prince Albert Grand Council, but said he was met with “reluctance.”

When the Grand Council Grand Chief requested the Fond Du Lac band to re-pay $300,000, Lidguerre said he told them no.

“We didn’t pay a dime for the four years I was there,” he said.

Lidguerre said in order to save money the band had to make a number of tough decisions, including times when no assistance money could be provided by the band.

“It would be a month or two, or sometimes less,” he said, adding requests for assistance were decided upon by council on a case by case basis.

At one point during questioning by the Crown, Lidguerre was asked to look at a document from Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada, which was a list of 12 band members receiving funds from the line of credit. Lidguerre identified five names as relatives of Mercredi. The assistance they received varied between $5,000 to $9,800.

Napoleon Mercredi leaving court on Friday. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Cross examination

The issue of who was on the list of recipients was among the areas covered by defence lawyer Garth Bendig.

Lidguerre told the Crown while he knew there were members receiving assistance, he had no knowledge of the PAGC line of credit.

Bendig pressed Lidguerre further on the list and Lidguerre acknowledged some of his own relatives were listed along with two councillors.

In regards to Mercredi’s travel expenses, another issue discussed in the trial, Bendig pointed out some chiefs travel more than others. Lidguerre made it one of his campaign priorities to spend as much time in Fond Du Lac as possible.

Finally, Bendig asked Lidguerre if he was aware if a personal cheque he received in February 2011 came from economic development funds.

“No I wasn’t aware,” Lidguerre said.

Lidguerre said the cheque was for $1,000, which a member of the grand council gave him on his way home from a band trip to Nova Scotia. The reason for the cheque, he said, was because his flight was delayed and he was forced to spend an extra night in a hotel.

Lidguerre told Bendig he never asked for the money, nor did he question it as he was still “fresh” to politics.

The case has been adjourned to Thursday, Oct. 17 for closing submissions.

—

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell