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First Nations group questions audit that found $34M in questionable spending
['The Canadian Press', 'Wed', 'October', 'At P.M. Gmt', 'Min Read']
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SASKATOON — An advocacy group representing First Nations in Saskatchewan is firing back after a forensic audit found more than $34 million in questionable, unsupported or ineligible spending over five years.
"(The federation) has excellent capacity and record keeping...unfortunately, due to underfunding, many First Nations and First Nations organizations do not have the level of capacity to respond to such audits," the organization said in a statement released on Wednesday.
It found that $23 million of the $30 million the organization received for COVID-19-related funding was spent in a way that was "questionable."
The audit also cited more than $50,000 in "questionable" or "ineligible" travel expenditures, along with another $265,000 in travel spending that KPMG said may have contravened the organization's own travel policies.
Some First Nations leaders in the province have called for accountability and answers from the organization.