August 5/05
Lawyer and Chief Stewart C. Paul alleges more than $262,000 in damages from a group of mothers, welfare
recipients, seasonal workers and seven who have lost 3 people in their family in the last year and who occupied the
reserve's casino complex in June protecting the peoples interests from greed and self indulgance. In a statement of
claim filed with the Court of Queen's Bench, the band alleges 11 named individuals and others used threats and
intimidation to take over the complex between June 7-20. And failed to mention the possible massive explosion that
may have occured and may have killed numerous people when the casino was being protected from greed.
The occupation addressed the numerous injustices committed against community members by the chief, casino, the
Band administration, and TEDCO. We refuse to this day to let injustices, unfairness, and corruption to continue
due to our genuine concern for community members who have been ignored by the Chief, Director of Operations,
and Band Manager. They were concerned that the casino managers refuse to be financially accountable; they were
concerned that managers favor some community members over others; they were concerned that managers refuse
to distribute a share of net profits to community members; and they were concerned about the misappropriation of
approximately $45 million generated by the casino in the past three years.
This was the second “occupation” of the casino in the past two years. Single parent mothers were also forced to
take similar action before Easter of 2004 because managers of the casino refused to help the parents at that time.
The single parent mothers agreed to leave the casino only after the Chief instructed the managers to distribute
small amounts of funds to the “occupiers”. Accountability was also an issue with the single mother parents but the
Chief, Director of Operations and Band Manager simply ignored the concerns of the group and continued their
questionable spending habits following the first “occupation”.
Our review of the documents in our fact finding mission clearly showed that large amounts went out to certain
connected people to senior management and councillors.The casino financed extravagant trips, automobiles, large
payments to non-members, new homes, fines imposed by provincial courts, and "extreme home-makeovers" for the
highly connected few. We have also observed individuals who protested, signed affidavits, slandered us, and
attempted to cause major harm to us. These were the people who unfairly received large amounts from the poor
and social programs which the monies were
intended for. We have asked for accountability for too long now, now is the time for a forensic audit on all our
affairs since lawyer Stewart Paul has been chief.
The lawyer/chief is supposedly on stress leave and his brother in law is acting chief. The Maliseet Nation at
Tobiques deficit is in a very conservative estimate of $3.5 mil in the red for the year 03 - 04 also further spiralling us
into co management with the DIAND before the last recalled election, countless failed businesses and we have also
experienced two suicides in the last six months and still no accountability...to make a long story short.