B.C. First Nation Council removes chief for alleged misconduct

The chief of a First Nation in southwest British Columbia has been removed for misconduct by his council.

According to a statement Saturday, the Sts’ailes First Nation is making allegations that Ralph Leon Jr. had committed “various acts of misconduct” related to his “unauthorized or unverified spending, pay advances, excessive purchasing of technology, and failure to attend critical meetings.”

In early August, Leon was provided with a letter outlining the allegations against him. The council says a temporary safeguard was placed on him until the misconducts were further investigated.

The council determined that the allegations against Leon were founded after reviewing the allegations and giving him a chance to respond to them, last week. It says the chief “failed to abide by the temporary safeguards that were put in place to protect the membership” while his Misconduct was being investigated.

The Sts’ailes First Nation council says the decision to remove Leon was unanimous, to preserve the integrity of their nation.

“Unfortunately, as a result of the Chief’s Misconduct, response to the Misconduct, and his breach of safeguards, the Chief broke this commitment, and the council believes that he failed to act in accordance with his fiduciary duties to the membership,” the council said.

The First Nation says it will release the next steps to its members in due time.

The nation is located near Agassiz in the Fraser Valley and consists of approximately 1,200 members.