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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche won't explain how more than $1,300 in unauthorized expenses were rung up on his government credit card while on a government-paid trip to China in November.

Menicoche, travelling on behalf of Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister Bob McLeod, went to China with a delegation of aboriginal business leaders Nov. 2 to 14, 2008 to showcase business opportunities in Canada.

A record of Menicoche's Diners Club International receipts show four separate transactions in Shanghai, China, on Nov. 6, 2008, totaling $1,328.48.

Menicoche confirmed unauthorized charges - amounting to around $1,300, he said - were made to his card, but was scant with any details on how they got there.

"At the time of the occurrence I immediately informed the legislative assembly clerk's office," he said.

All four charges appeared under the description "Shanghai Wushangcao Sh," three of the charges were for $265.72 and one for $531.45.

Menicoche said when he returned to Canada, he reimbursed the clerk's office right away.

"The policy is that unauthorized charges have to be reimbursed immediately and that is what I had done."

Menicoche would not say how the charges got on his card - whether it was stolen or lost - but said he himself did not ring up the charges.

"They were charges from somebody else," he said.

"That's all I'm prepared to say at this time.

"I consider this matter closed at this time," he said.

Tim Mercer, clerk of the legislative assembly, confirmed Menicoche paid back the expenses when he returned to the NWT.

The Diners Club is used to "cover legitimate travel expenses while on constituency or duty travel," Mercer responded in an e-mail.

Olin Lovely, director of corporate services, said authorized charges on the government credit card include transportation or accommodations.

"The en route card is to be used for transportation and accommodation only," he said, gas, automobile rentals, flights and that kind of transportation and hotel accommodation."

He said MLAs have to provide receipts from their charges to show the card was used for appropriate expenses.

The trip to send Menicoche to China cost taxpayers $14,145: including $9,960 for accommodation and travel, $2,300 in registration fees for the Canada-China Business Council, and $1,620 to register for the China Mining Expo.

The accommodation and travel portion consisted of airfare to China and then domestic flights between Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai and Xi'an.

It also included transportation on the ground and all of Menicoche's meals.

McLeod's office picked up the tab for Menicoche's travel expenses.