Community group deals with missing funds
BY MARC LALONDE
Helping West Islanders through tough economic times is what they do, but these days, the West Island Assistance Fund is experiencing some financial hardship of their own. Interim director Francois Gince said the community group is out nearly $115,000 after bank deposits went missing in 2006 and Centraide cut its annual grant to the fund, which operates thrift shops, a food bank and a community kitchen.
As The Chronicle first reported in December, nearly $25,000 is missing from the fund’s account at Caisse Populaire Roxboro after deposits went missing over the course of 2006. Gince says the deposits — from the food bank and the thrift store — never landed in accounts, even though the West Island Assistance Fund holds deposit slips for each of the deposits and Gince said he must still meet with bank officials to iron out the situation.
Contrary to other published reports, Gince said, the case has not yet been handed over to the Montreal police for investigation.
“For the time being, we are conducting our own investigation,� said Gince, who told The Chronicle he had found a number of “financial irregularities,� when the story first broke in December.
The community group secured an emergency $25,000 loan from the Conseil Local de Developpement (CLD) on Dec. 21 and will have to begin making up the massive shortfall.
Gince’s mandate as interim director will end Jan. 30, but rumours of the fund’s closure at the same time are wild speculation, he said. In fact, the board has offered Gince the job permanently. He admitted he’s considering the offer but hasn’t yet made up his mind to stay.
“It is an important job, and we have a lot of work ahead of us,� he said, adding he’s now overseeing all accounting and deposits personally and has established a system of internal checks and balances to keep an eye on the finances.
“The important thing is to maintain operations and get more business (at the thrift shops in Ste. Geneviève and Roxboro). Business is good, but I would like it to be better,� he said.
mario beaudoin
Comment online since February 11th 2007Chère dame,
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