Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 15/02) - A government auditor led a territorial court jury down a paper trail left behind by Lena Cleary's six-year tenure as head of a Yellowknives Dene housing society.

The 42-year-old Dettah resident is on trial on charges of fraud, breach of trust, theft over $5,000, and uttering forged documents from her time as manager of the Done Naawo Housing Society.

The society is no longer in existence. Yellowknives Dene First Nations now directly manages the 56 public housing units in Dettah and Ndilo.

Crown attorney Ari Slatkoff said the prosecution is alleging "almost $70,000" is unaccounted for.

The six-man, six- woman jury listened intently Thursday as Crown expert witness Burt Kuldewy, an audit manager with the financial management board secretariat, outlined where he thought the money went.

He was one of seven witnesses called by Slatkoff.

Kuldewy testified the audit showed that Cleary skimmed cash from rent payments and inappropriately authorized expense payments to herself.

Using a slide show, Kuldewy showed receipts for rent payments that she signed.

The receipts were supposed to be completed on a "write once" system, which ensured the transaction was recorded in a journal. Money was supposed to be deposited in the society's bank account.

However, Done Naawo often issued "non-standard" receipts. Kuldewy said "not all the receipts found their way into the journal."

For example, a non-standard receipt issued March 8, 1993, shows a client paying $300, with "3-100 bills."

The journal entry for the client only shows a payment of $150.

"It was interesting, because right underneath the entry," a relative of Cleary's is credited with a $150 payment, said Kuldewy.

Lena Cleary's initials appear next to each entry.

Between 1992 and 1996, a total of $20,207.87 "was not posted and deposited," according to Kuldewy.

"Who had control of the journals during this time?" asked Slatkoff.

"To my knowledge, Mrs. Cleary," Kuldewy answered.

Kuldewy also pointed out gasoline receipts from Yellowknife Motors for Cleary and her husband's cars. The gasoline was charged to the society.

"All invoices were signed by Mrs. Cleary," said Kuldewy.

Defence lawyer Hugh Latimer said he expected to call a financial professional to counter Kuldewy's testimony.

He added that his client, "will be taking the stand, to tell her side of the story."

The trial is scheduled to last another week.