Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 05/98) - A public inquiry into allegations of misconduct by Premier Don Morin in a number of business dealings continues to move along at a snail's pace.

Yesterday, after three hours of pre-hearing discussions at Northern United Place, it was discovered that two issues -- publicly funded legal counsel for witnesses and lack of cooperation by parties involved in the complaint -- will slow the inquiry process down by at least two weeks.

Counsel for the commission recommended to Crawford that they wait until mid-October to begin the hearing, allowing them sufficient time to prepare. Morin's lawyer, John Hustwick and Crawford disagreed with this delay.

"It's not really good news is it," said Crawford responding to commission counsel's recommendation. "The complaint was made in February.... I don't see the public interest being served to have the issue unresolved for almost a year."

Crawford asked the commission's lawyer Rob Dunseith, Morin's lawyers and the lawyers for witnesses in the complaint to meet again over the phone August 18 at 9 a.m. to figure out where they stand and when they should proceed.

Commission council noted the delays have been created primarily by the reluctance of three parties involved in allegations to produce documentation pertaining to the complaint.

Many attempts by the commission counsel to contact the Deninu Kue Development Corporation and Deninu Kue First Nation, both of Fort Resolution, have been futile. Coldwell Bankers, particularly real estate agent Ken Pearman who closed the deal on Lahm Ridge Tower, has also resisted meeting with the commission's lawyers.

All three are felt by the commission to be key to the proceedings.

To avoid any further delays, Crawford asked Dunseith to apply to the Supreme Court to force parties to come forward with information needed in the inquiry.

She also wanted a judicial reference -- which has to be initiated by a GNWT minister -- made to the Supreme Court to uphold her decision ordering publicly funded counsel for Jane Groenewegen, who laid the complaint.

The same Supreme Court ruling would also provide legal funding for Roland Bailey and Mike Mrdjenovich, whom are named several times in the complaint.

Crawford gave Bailey and Mrdjenovich participant status, giving them the right to cross-examine witnesses. Groenewegen was denied participant status and that right.

As for disclosure of information during the hearing, Crawford said all transcripts will be made available to the public every 24 hours during the inquiry.

Hustwick, speaking on behalf of Morin, asked to have all transcripts translated in Chipewyan. He also asked that all hearing documentation be translated in the eight aboriginal languages meeting the provisions of the NWT Official Languages Act.