Maria Canton
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 17/99) - The president of the NWT Amateur Hockey Association and former engineer for Municipal and Community Affairs is facing fraud and theft charges allegedly amounting to more than $100,000, as well as one count of breach of trust.

Denis Bedard, 43, was charged on May 7 in Iqaluit, where he now resides, after members of the Yellowknife 'G' division commercial crime section flew there to interview him.

According to S/Sgt. Dave Grundy, it appears that while Bedard was an employee of the government, he used government money for personal gain, which would constitute a breach of trust.

The offenses were allegedly committed over an 18-month period from July 1995 to December 1997, when Bedard was an employee of MACA in the Fort Simpson area.

An investigation was launched after the GNWT alerted the Yellowknife commercial crime division with a complaint that they were finding irregularities with their service contracts.

"He had no direct contact with any cash," said Grundy, adding that the investigation indicates that Bedard would award service contracts and then receive remuneration back.

Bedard, who will not be taken into custody, is currently working as an engineer for the Town of Iqaluit.

"He is still working with us, but I can't comment any further than that," said Bret Dykstra, a Town of Iqaluit employee.

Likewise, MACA Deputy Minister Bob MacLeod also reserved comment on the situation.

"As the matter is going before the courts, we have no comment."

The investigation took six months to complete and after the Iqaluit interview, Bedard was served a summons to appear in a Yellowknife courtroom on July 13 this summer.