Penticton Western News, May 02, 2014

Page 1

NEWS PENTICTON WESTERN

www.pentictonwesternnews.com

3

news

Charges laid in Osoyoos Lake boating death from 2011

VOL. 48 ISSUE 35

10

A week of mixed results for minor soccer teams

FRIDAY, May 2, 2014

17

entertainment Ponderosa Music Festival draws indie crowd

community Farmers’ and Downtown

Community Markets open

MINOR HOCKEY MISSING $315K

NEWS PENTICTON WESTERN

Emanuel Sequeira Western News Staff

MONSTER SHOW — Driver Gabe Montoya has a great vantage point from the tire of this monster fire truck parked at the new downtown Burger 55 location Wednesday. This vehicle and many others will be in town this weekend for the Monster X Tour at the South Okanagan Events Centre with shows scheduled for Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Mark Brett/Western News

Penticton Minor Hockey Association is apparently out more than $300,000 and reports its former treasurer is to blame. In a statement issued Thursday, PMHA said it had “fallen victim to a sophisticated embezzlement scheme” allegedly carried out by Sandy Elder, who handled the organization’s finances from 2001 to July 2013, when she died of cancer. A forensic audit allegedly found evidence that $315,650 was “misappropriated” between May 2010 and April 2013 through altered cheques, falsified receipts and records, plus cash transactions for referee payments and concession revenue. PMHA president Bruce Judd declined comment and referred questions to lawyer Erik Lund. The statement said Judd became suspicious after Elder died and called in a forensic auditor, but decided not to make the matter public until after the investigation. “Now that the investigation is complete, litigation is expected to commence against Ms. Elder’s estate,” Lund said in the statement, which noted the RCMP have also been alerted. “In cases such as these, it can be very difficult for victims to locate and execute on sufficient funds or assets. It is an unfortunate reality of the legal world that you can’t get blood from a stone ... At this point it is unclear how Elder has (allegedly) disposed of the funds.” At least one PMHA member knew nothing of the matter before being told

Beltone is Celebrating Better Hearing Month with FREE Hearing Screenings! This May, stop by Beltone with a friend or loved one. We’ll test your hearing and explain the results. If we find a concern, you can try our latest technology right in the office, at NO COST to you.

Call today for your appointment! PENTICTON

Hearing Clinic

18 page

471 Ellis Street 250.492.5255

OSOYOOS

8303 - 78th Ave. 250.495.6535

OLIVER

Oliver Place Mall 250.498.4544

SUMMERLAND 9523 Wharton St. 250.494.8778

Thursday about the press release. “This is the first I’ve heard,” said atom coach Tony Orioli. When told of the amount missing, he said, “Oh, wow. That’s unfortunate.” The Western News learned of the investigation in January, but Judd denied it at that time. “Whoever told you that is wrong. If you print it, you’re wrong. You would be liable for being sued,” he said. At a closed-door meeting in October 2013, the PMHA board of directors earmarked $25,000 for what the meeting minutes describe as an “investigation of a current legal matter.” Sources said the cash was set aside for a lawsuit involving the missing money, but Judd denied that too. “We put that in for a contingency for the future because we had an accident in October with a player. We might be sued,” he said in January. The minutes for the October 2013 meeting also show the board that night acted on a recommendation from Scotiabank that only executive members be granted signing authority. PMHA apparently tightened up its cash handling procedures in other ways this past season. In his year-end report for 2013-14, vice-president Paul DeShane noted that following Elder’s death, “I invested significant time supporting the extraordinary efforts of the president in sustaining the financial aspect of operations, recovering and organizing records as well as implementing changes to internal processes and control.” Elder’s family couldn’t be reached for comment.

FREE Hearing Screening A simple and FREE hearing exam at Beltone will tell your where you stand. Expires May 31, 2014


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.