Moosomin First Nation chief Elliot Kahpeaysewat is not going down without a fight.
The federal Aboriginal Affairs department announced Oct. 2 it was removing Kahpeaysewat from his post as chief over vote-buying allegations surrounding his 2011 election.
But in a news release Tuesday, Kaypeaysewat says his lawyers have filed for a judicial review challenging the federal department's authority to remove him, and is denying all charges that he paid people for votes.
"I won by more than 100 votes. Three people sent letters to INAC falsely alleging that I paid them $20, $40 and $200 to vote for me. Not one shred of evidence was provided to support these allegations and yet INAC is trying to remove me from office without due process or a judicial review," said Kahpeaysewat in a statement.
He accuses INAC officials of "acting as judge, jury and executioner" in the matter.
Adding to the drama are allegations by Kahpeaysewat over the handling of gaming money by the Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs Community Development Corporation, or CDC.
Moosomin First Nation is one of the member bands making up Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs, but it appears Kahpeaysewat had a disagreement over the way the CDC was being run.
Kahpeaysewat alleges he was removed as Moosomin chief because he was "asking too many questions about the CDC money spent" at BATC.
The rival Battlefords Tribal Council has also been critical in recent days of BATC's control of the CDC. BTC has called for a provincial inquiry into gaming revenues, though Premier Brad Wall has so far declined to get involved in the dispute.
For his part, Kahpeaysewat states he and his supporters will be asking the federal minister of Justice to investigate what he calls "corruption and abuse of authority within INAC" and the alleged "illegal use of gaming money in Saskatchewan."
He also says band members support him and that he expects to run for chief again in the January 2013 election.
"This is going to be a long battle but the corruption will finally be exposed," he states.
