Former Fort McPherson, N.W.T., finance director wanted by RCMP
Ina Koe, 44, failed to appear in court on fraud charges
Fort McPherson's former director of finance is wanted by the RCMP after failing to appear in court on charges of fraud against the hamlet.
Ina Flossie Koe, 44, was charged last year with two counts of fraud over $5,000 and one count of breach of trust by a public officer.
She failed to appear in court twice in December. The defence lawyer present that day attempted to contact Koe, whose last known address in 2015 was in Whitehorse.
Koe is now on the RCMP's Northwest Territories wanted list.
She is accused of defrauding the hamlet of Fort McPherson of $424,932.59 between 2010 and 2013. It's alleged she bought personal items and transferred funds to herself from the hamlet's credit card.
The RCMP said because the order issued for Koe's arrest is a Northwest Territories warrant they have to make arrangements with another jurisdiction for Koe's arrest.
"Investigators have been in contact with RCMP of the other jurisdiction that Koe is believed to be in," said Elenore Sturko, an RCMP spokesperson.
Bank accounts investigated
Court documents, unsealed in December, show a judge granted the RCMP permission to access four of Koe's accounts with the Bank of Montreal and CIBC in Yellowknife.
RCMP also accessed more than 15 bank accounts of two other people under investigation. According to the documents, police said they were investigating those accounts because they suspected crimes of fraud, possession of the proceeds of crime and money laundering.
This week the Northwest Territories government announced the hamlet had successfully paid off its ballooning $2 million deficit.
The territorial government declined to comment about the impact the alleged fraud had on the hamlet's past deficit, saying it was before the courts. But Municipal and Community Affairs Deputy Minister Tom Williams said the bulk of Fort McPherson's debt came from the previous council's decisions to not raise utility and user fees.
The territory disbanded the hamlet's council in 2014 after the deficit ballooned.
The hamlet will be holding elections for a new council and mayor in December.