THE NAVAJO COUNCIL IS DEBATING FORENSIC AUDIT OF NAVAJO OIL AND GAS COMPANY, A TRIBAL ENTERPRISE THAT HAS BEEN IN AN INTERNAL DISPUTE BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE SHAREHOLDERS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. THE FORENSIC AUDIT WAS SUPERVISED BY THE NOGC BOARD AND THERE WAS NO MENTION OF THE BOARD’S EXPENDITURES BEING AUDITED.
THE AUDIT WAS PRESENTED VERY QUICKLY AND I TRIED TO CATCH AS MUCH INFO AS POSSIBE. BUT I DID VIDEO TAPE WHICH I’LL DOWNLOAD AS SOON AS I CAN.
COUNCIL DELEGATE MEL BEGAY
this auditor licensed to audit government? when is full audit going to be presented to council with all proper signatures? and why is the council being presented with an audit that only covers a specific amount of time? we have many Anglos with various credentials come to council and we need to mindful that some of them create division among council.
DELEGATE DUANE TSINIGINE
We have been given two documents. one says forensic audit and then there is forensic investigation. are we suppose to be these two together?
DELEGATE ELMER BEGAY
we respect navajo land and all minerals, natural resources in and on it. and to extract some of these minerals there are ceremonies to be done. according to culture, there are certain minerals and plants that are not to be extracted. that is teachings of elders and people. as Council, we are in position to have full audit and this is a forensic audit, which we are not questioning. so we need to have full audit.
NAVAJO DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL DANA BOBROFF
how would Council proceed now is question of Delegate Tsinigine. This is a report and not actual audit. when the audit is finished, it would be provided to the Board or Audit Committee of Navajo Oil and Gas and accepted, not approved, accepted. Once audit accepted, it probably would be presented to shareholders and then to oversight committee at committee’s request and the Council and, or Naabikiyati Committee could also request that audit be presented. when findings made in audit, there is opportunity for response to provide additional documents. this is not annual audit of Navajo Oil and Gas. this is discreet audit by specialized auditors.
DELEGATE TSINIGINE
if i vote in favor of audit, it’s not that i agree. it’s that i heard your report.
DELEGATE LEONARD TSOSIE
we can’t dismiss audit by calling “witch hunt.” since we have on council agenda, the fulfillment of shareholder representatives, then we should ask for shareholders to recover funds that properly belong to people. i also agree that we should hear from everyone involved.
DELEGATE DWIGHT WITHERSPOON
what is remedy? built in checks and balances, the shareholders have right to make changes in composition of board and CEO/Chief Executive Officer. Both of the Navajo Oil and Gas CEOs have not done job and if Board doing their job, they would not have allowed so much to occur so there needs to be change in Board. There needs to be a cleaning of the house. The policies definitely need review, limit how policies could be changed to protect corporation. some of expenditures of Navajo Oil & Gas money borders on “criminal.” but what can we do to make corrections and have remedies so there are no repeats of what has happened. also what about other tribal enterprises? another remedy is dissolve corporation and restart.
