[IPSM] Kanehsatake: "mismanagement" of $34 mil. in Kanehsatake policing

[nora butler burke]

  (see below for analysis from Mohawk Nation News)

Federal report raises concerns about $34 million in Kanesatake police 
spending
Canadian Press
Published: Tuesday, October 17, 2006

MONTREAL (CP) - A preliminary federal report has suggested the 
mismanagement of nearly $34 million handed to the Kanesatake band 
council for security on the aboriginal territory between 2003 and 2005. 
Costs ballooned after then grand chief James Gabriel appealed to the 
federal government to establish his own police force to fight against 
alleged organized crime. A total of 67 officers were hired to patrol the 
community of less than 1,300 residents west of Montreal. But a January 
2004 raid on the existing Kanesatake police force turned ugly. Members 
of the community surrounded the police station and held the new force 
hostage for 36 hours. Gabriel's house was burned to the ground. He and 
members of the force were forced into exile.

According to the report obtained by Radio-Canada, Gabriel was 
responsible for mismanagement and wasteful spending. "Financial 
management was not exercised in a prudent, transparent and efficient and 
effective manner by the band council," said the report. Gabriel 
dismissed the report as inaccurate. "Was it costly, absolutely it was 
costly," he told the television network. But he said Ottawa and Quebec 
signed off on every expense. "Everything that was purchased by the 
Mohawk police was submitted to Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness 
Canada." However, the report identified several examples of abuse, 
including several police officers who received double pay.
"Some individuals claimed regular pay, overtime and other professional 
fees twice for the same days," said the report. Former police chief 
Terry Isaac received $197,914 for 11 months of work but on several 
occasions received two pay cheques. He also spent just a few hundred 
dollars to purchase three police vehicles after the force was dissolved 
in 2005.

The investigation found that the native police force was heavily armed 
and had purchased weapons not normally used by police, including 
silencers. Some of the firepower later went missing.
The report reveals the existence of a corporation which allowed expenses 
to be paid without the knowledge of the band council. It also raised 
questions about the role of auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers, who have 
worked for the band council since 2003.
Gabriel and his entourage spent more than one year in exile at the 
Hilton hotel in Laval. The tab was nearly $2 million for rooms and 
meals. Officials for Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said the 
minister has received a copy of the final report but hasn't yet reviewed 
it.
Federal lawyers are determining whether charges should be laid.

The Quebec government paid $25 million of the $34 million spent on the 
Mohawk territory.


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	MNN "Ragtime Gowboy Joe" whatcha gonna do now?
Date: 	Tue, 17 Oct 2006 10:28:21 -0700
From: 	orakwa <orakwa at paulcomm.ca>
To: 	ActionCanadaNetwork <actcan at web.net>



*JAMES ?RAGTIME-COWBOY-JOE? GABRIEL OF KANEHSATAKE, WHATCHA GONNA DO 
NOW? SQ, RCMP, GOONS, QUEBEC & FEDS ?OVERSPENT?! *

* *

*MNN. Oct. 17, 2006. CBC news revealed that a federal report shows that 
$34 million was handed over to Indian Affairs? darling, James Gabriel, 
through a dummy corporation. They say it was meant for ?security? for 
the sleepy rural community between 2003 and 2006. *

* *

*James Gabriel begged the government to give him money to set up his own 
militia to fight against his fantasy that there was ?organized crime? 
rampant on Kanehsatake. Canada and Quebec gave him the money. He hired 
67 men from all walks of life, dressed them in uniforms, put lethal 
weapons in their hands and gave them the top of the line police cars to 
patrol less than 1,300 peaceful Indigenous people. Needless to say, the 
community was offended. They wouldn?t let them into the community. 
Everyone knew these ?goons? were illegitimate because of the bizarre 
history of Indian Affairs. *

* *

*On January 12^th 2004 the militia embarked on a ?coup? of Kanehsatake. 
They descended on the community to take over the police station and the 
band council house. They ended up inside the police station surrounded 
by curious unarmed men, women pushing strollers, young people and elder 
members of the community. The heavily armed militia was supposedly held 
?hostage?. It didn?t stop them from ordering out for pizza. Many members 
of the community were charged. *

* *

*James Gabriel?s response to the report, ?Sure, it was costly!? He sent 
all his requests for money to Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness 
Canada. He said that Ottawa and Quebec City signed off on everything he 
asked for. *

* *

*Here?s a summary of his invoices for ?services rendered?:*

* *

*$2 million Price Waterhouse who took over after his ?mismanagement? of 
Kanehsatake funds, then put millions through the stolen corporation. We 
know it didn?t go to the Indigenous people;*

*$2.5 million Support for the Grand Chief James Gabriel;*

*$2.6 million James Gabriel?s militia ? uniforms, weapons, cars, police 
station in Laval;*

*$197,000 Salary for police chief, Terry Isaac, for 11 months of work;*

*$26.7 million Double billing, double pay, overtime and other 
professional fees, sometimes paid twice for the same days;*

*TOTAL:*

*$34 million This went to the stolen corporation run by the federal 
government?s court appointed ?chief?. **$34 million for 1300 people, of 
which half are under 20 years of age, would be enough to hire someone at 
$50,000 a year to follow every adult in Kanehsatake. *

* *

*Apparently James Gabriel bought 3 brand new police cars for less than 
$1,000. Among the weapons was a silencer which is not a standard police 
weapon. It?s usually for covert work by commandos like the JTF2. U.S. 
Commandos carry this type of weapon. The other $26.7 million just 
disappeared and the SQ, RCMP, the band council, Quebec and Indian 
Affairs don?t know what happened to it! In our view it?s entirely 
possible that they divided it up between themselves. *

* *

*A corporation was set up after the 1990 Oka Crisis known as ?Coalition 
de Mohawk de Kanehsatake? by four groups in the community. Once an 
election was held it was forgotten. But secretly it was stolen by James 
Gabriel, Clarence Simon and Leona Bonspille who signed on as the new 
owners without informing the original owners. All Kanehsatake programs 
and other monies were siphoned through this stolen corporation. The 
people could not find out anything about cutbacks to all their programs. 
Nobody would answer any of their questions. Quebec Public Security 
Minister, Jacques Chagnon, is now singing like a canary and said that 
James Gabriel was ?acting like a cowboy?. Given the court?s treatment of 
those upright community members who try to defend law and order, we 
don?t blame James Gabriel for not wanting to be an Indian! *

* *

*Criminal charges could be laid against James ?Ragtime Cowboy Joe? 
Gabriel. As the song goes, he?ll be singing raggedy music in the court 
to the federal ?cows? and the Quebec ?sheep?. Or he might even end up 
swinging back and forth ?cause he?s a hifalutin?, scootin?, shootin? 
son-of-a-gun from Kanehsatake, Ragtime Cowboy Joe. Hee haw!*

* *

*Kahentinetha Horn*

* *

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* *

* *