by Laura Walz [email protected] Tla’Amin (Sliammon) First Nation’s chief is frustrated with the findings of an audit into the band’s finances.
Representatives from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) made a presentation to the community on September 22. The presentation was a summary of a report prepared by KPMG, an accounting firm for AANDC.
In late 2009, the federal government received allegations concerning mismanagement of band funds and, after an assessment, retained KPMG to investigate. In May 2010, members of AANDC’s assessment and investigation services branch seized records from the band office.
Chief Clint Williams said the investigation didn’t look at the band as a whole, which made the entire exercise frustrating. “It only focused on Indian Affairs’ program dollars, meaning it only focused on education, social development and any other small programs that INAC [Indian Affairs and Northern Development] funds,” he said. The investigators had no interest in any other money, which they called band money, Williams said. “They were only looking for wrong doing in those few areas that they fund,” he said. “From my point of view, this was a total useless exercise. It was a total waste of time for the Sliammon people, for the humiliation and the financial hardship that this has caused.”
There are a number of cumulative effects as a result of the investigation, Williams added. “Our auditor refused to give an opinion on her audit, which sent us into a management action plan, which used to be labeled remedial management,” he said. “This has limited us on some optional dollars that we usually apply for.”
Band staff was working on the audit when investigators came in and seized all the information, Williams said. The band is still missing records for the first three months of the 2010-2011 fiscal year, he added. “This exercise is still affecting us,” he said.
The investigation focused on payments made to five individuals from 2008 to 2010. The report found that federal government funding was not affected and there was no reason for AANDC to pursue charges, Williams said.
Band council has requested documentation from the report, Williams added, for review to determine if the band should pursue the issue through civil charges.
