Łutsel K'e Dene First Nation rebuts arguments from Denesoline CEO about alleged fraud
CBC
Lawyers for Ron Barlas and the Łutsel K'e Dene First Nation (LKDFN) met by video in a Yellowknife courtroom Tuesday, for a hearing in the alleged fraud case against Barlas.
Legal counsel for the First Nation continues to push the court to settle the lawsuit without a trial. LKDFN has accused Barlas, the suspended CEO of Denesoline, of misappropriating almost $12 million dollars of its money for personal gain.
Lawyers for the First Nation say Barlas needs to be removed from power, contracts torn up and properties liquidated. The only trial they want, lawyers say, is to figure out damages.
"A court does not need a trial to deal with a case as obvious as this one," said Matthew Sammon, the lawyer representing the Łutsel K'e Dene First Nation. "There's oppression at every level of the CEO's functions."
Barlas continues to deny the allegations. Earlier this month, his lawyers argued his defence in the civil suit, saying LKDFN lawyers had massively overstated their case, taken evidence out of context and downplayed exonerating evidence.
LKDFN lawyers have continued to question the validity of joint venture contracts between Barlas and the First Nation, alleging Barlas funneled money into these ventures solely for his financial benefit.
Lawyers also responded to what they called "misleading" statements about Barlas increasing the Nation's annual revenue since taking his position.
LKDFN argues that revenues increased due to Barlas's entrepreneurship, but his excessive spending left its net income worse off in the latter years of his employment.
The Nation also reported significant financial losses under Barlas for the 2020 and 2021 fiscal years.
LKDFN also contested a previous statement made by Barlas's lawyers, who said it takes "overwhelming evidence" to terminate contracts. In a closing statement, Sammon said this is not true in the case of a "self-dealing CEO."
Parties will be back in court April 30 in Yellowknife.
St. Jude’s Anglican Church in Iqaluit has fallen on tough financial times.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a large shuffle of deputy ministers and senior public servants in a shake-up at the top of the public service that has long been expected around Ottawa.
Alberta's declining COVID-19 vaccination rate is sparking more concern as it becomes clear how uptake in the province compares to other parts of the country.
Drivers faced treacherous road conditions Friday morning as tempuratures started to drop below freezing following a night of rain.
A cold front is sweeping through the Greater Toronto Area Friday morning, according to a special weather statement by Environment Canada.
In the wake of Calgary's council kicking off a process to repeal the city's blanket rezoning policy, the corporation responsible for administering significant federal housing money warns the changes could put funding for new housing at risk.
Residents of an apartment building in St. John's are finding their footing again after a fire burned through the complex leaving most without anything in October.
A new program aimed at providing employment advice for workers facing layoffs at Algoma Steel has been launched in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont..
Even if Samuel Provo-Benoit doesn’t get the present he dearly wants in time for Christmas — a kidney and pancreas transplant to beat the Type 1 diabetes that’s steadily destroying his body — he has something else to celebrate.
A claim by New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt that petroleum refiners will be paying the $1 million per week cost of a gasoline price cut that her government orchestrated last weekend does not appear to be unfolding that way.
Sonia Bélanger, junior health minister and the minister responsible for senior and social services, is expected to be sworn in as early as Friday as Quebec's new health minister, according to sources at Radio-Canada.
A growing number of Manitoba's MRI machines now use artificial intelligence, with a plan to have more than half using the technology by spring.
A mobile unit the Saskatchewan government bought in 2002 for providing mammograms to Saskatchewan women will soon retire.