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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Dettah Chief Edward Sangris answered questions surrounding allegations of financial mismanagement and poor leadership yesterday afternoon, weeks after a petition calling for his removal began circulating among the Yellowknives Dene band membership.

Sangris and band councillors Phillip Liske, Roy Erasmus Sr., Cecile Beaulieu and Jonas Sangris refuted five allegations against them outlined in the most recent petition, which began circulating June 21, at a press conference held at the Chief Drygeese Conference Centre in Dettah.

"This current petition spreads false information and demands correction," said Sangris.

The reason he hadn't responded earlier was because he and the council considered the matter an internal issue stemming from personal disagreements among other band members, he said.

With the release of the latest petition, Sangris said it was time to provide some clarity and respond to the accusations.

The petition calls for the removal of Sangris and band council, accusing council members of public drunkenness, not declaring conflicts of interest during council meetings, and not seeking proper consent from band members when approving budgets.

It also calls into question the removal of Ndilo Chief Ted Tsetta after he endorsed a letter last month calling for Sangris and council's removal, and the sexual assault charge against Sangris, which is still before the courts.

Sangris and Erasmus Sr. took turns responding to the allegations outlined, stating that they were simply not true.

They also said Tsetta has received several reprimands for missing numerous council meetings and has been improperly using his band credit card to make cash withdrawals.

Sangris argued Tsetta hasn't had his powers revoked, but has had his salary suspended in an attempt to get him to come to a council meeting so they could talk in person.

"The chief and council has no power to suspend or remove an elected official," said Erasmus Sr.

"We took the lawful action we could for this breach of trust and stopped paying his salary."

Sangris said there was no truth to allegations concerning millions of dollars in missing band money or gems from the now defunct diamond polishing plant the Yellowknives Den used to own.

"I think they can't find anything so they just keep forging ahead," said Sangris.

"We have proven that there's nothing going on."

Under Yellowknives Dene First Nation rules, the petition has to have at least 40 per cent of voting members sign it within 30 days for it to be considered valid.

Neither Sangris nor Erasmus Sr. said they knew how many signatures were on the latest petition, but Erasmus Sr. didn't think there were too many.

"She (Barbara Powless-Labelle) would have brought them to us by now," he said of the former band councillor who has been leading the charge against them.

"None of these concerns arose until Ted was disciplined."

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