(File photo, paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Financial transparency

Taxpayers federation says chief’s fraud conviction should encourage all elected leaders to be more transparent

Feb 25, 2020 | 3:20 PM

Members of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) have been closely following a court case in Prince Albert surrounding the spending habits of a former Saskatchewan First Nations Chief.

On Friday, Napoleon Mercredi, 64, was found guilty of fraud, breach of trust and theft over $5,000. He now awaits sentencing.

Todd MacKay, Prairie Director for the CTF, told paNOW the case highlights the need for accountability and transparency.

“We need to have checks and balances in place to make sure this doesn’t happen,” MacKay said.

Mercredi was found guilty of pocketing over $280,000 of the Fond Du Lac First Nation’s finances during his two-year term as chief. Some of the money was pulled from the band’s economic development fund, and over $29,000 was used to buy a truck.

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According to MacKay, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation handles complaints regularly from band members who want greater transparency from their own leaders. The CTF is a strong proponent for band councils to post audited statements online.

“The overwhelming majority of bands are posting a lot or their financial information and providing more of that transparency, but of course more needs to be done,” MacKay said.

Under Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, band councils that failed to publish audited financial statements were subject to financial repercussions under the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. But the Act was amended by the Justin Trudeau government to no longer require its enforcement.

Mackay said despite this move by the Trudeau government, he found a lot of band councils maintained a commitment to financial transparency.

“There are a few really loud ones who refuse to provide transparency, who refuse to tell people, including their own people what they are doing with their money. That’s really wrong,” he said.

A quick search of the Indigenous and Northern Affairs website by paNOW found many band councils in the Prince Albert and northern region posted their 2018-2019 expenses and audited statements including Lac La Ronge, One Arrow, Big River, and Montreal Lake.

Gary Vidal, Conservative member of Parliament for the rising of Desnethé – Missinippi-Churchill River, was also contacted for comment on the issue. He expressed he too was in favor of greater accountability.

“Constituents in Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River want to see investments improve the quality of life in Indigenous communities in a real and meaningful way. I have, and always will support measures that provide transparency and accountability for individual band members,’ he said in a statement.

After the verdict Friday at Prince Albert Court of Queen’s Bench, Mercredi claimed there were many more chiefs within the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) who may be misusing band finances.

“If I’m convicted the other 12 chiefs will be convicted for sure if they ever set foot in this building here,” Mercredi said.

paNOW attempted to get a comment from PAGC but was told leadership would not issue a statement, as the matter remains before the courts.

Sentencing submissions are set for May.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell