Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jun 22/98) - Martha Flaherty is meeting with her lawyer this week to prepare a lawsuit against Pauktuutit, the Inuit women's organization.

What type of lawsuit will be decided with her legal counsel this week.

Flaherty was fired two months ago from her job as president of the organization, after being accused of using Pauktuutit's credit card for personal use.

Pauktuutit claims she racked up thousands of dollars in debt.

"I don't want to talk about it right now. I'm seeing my lawyer next week. I'm not going to just sit back when somebody does me wrong," said Flaherty last Thursday from her home in Ottawa.

The 47-year-old Inuk said she is determined to pay back her debts that got out of control when her $65,000 presidential salary was not making ends meet.

She also admitted to double-billing for association-related travel expenses.

Reports to Pauktuutit's new board show that Flaherty, president since 1991, had for years been buying thousands of dollars worth of goods for herself and her family using Pauktuutit credit cards. By February, when she was told to stop, she owed the association $11,000.

Flaherty admitted using credit cards improperly and promised to repay the money. But by the end of March she had racked up another $2,000.

Flaherty and her husband, unemployed, ran into financial difficulties in 1995. Last year she said she suffered medical problems and had to go into the hospital in November for surgery.

By Christmas they lost their home and were forced into a townhouse, which now costs them $900 a month.

"I have a lot of public support. I have been getting calls from people saying don't sit back and do nothing," said Flaherty.

"I was not hiding anything. I was willing to negotiate and be open and I always have been. I don't think what they did was right at all."