On Monday the 16 February APY was advised that, the Registrar of Aboriginal Corporations (Anthony Bevan) had appointed a Special Administrator to AP Services for an initial period of 6 months however the administration is expected to run for 12 months until February 2010.
Me Bevan appointed the Special Administrator for a number of reasons including: AP Services had been losing money for the past 17 months; breaches of the CATSI Act; and, a factional dispute within AP Services.
In a radio interview on 16 February Mr Bevan added that an investigation had showed that the financial affairs of AP Services were not as they should have been and that the Special Administrator would be looking into payments to directors by AP Services.
The Directors of AP Services at the time of the appointment of the Special Administrator were; HERE SET OUT.
APY has been made aware (by being shown documents) that in the period 1 July 2008 to 31 December 2008 AP Services had made payments of almost $300,000.00 to directors (that is almost $50,000.00 per month) including almost $175,000.00 paid to an Adelaide Solicitor to conduct a private court case brought by three of the directors to advance their own interests.
Financial records of AP Services posted to Mr Bevans web site show that during the 12 months prior to 30 June 2008;
a) The same Adelaide Solicitor was paid about $395,000.00 9 (in addition to the above amount of $175,000) for acting for AP Services,
b) AP Services transferred about $47,000.00 from each of Pukatja and Kalka to pay legal expenses described as “Wataru legal case”.
c) Four communities paid over $ to have their books done,
d) Wages and office expenses of about $ were paid mostly for unnecessary jobs and facilities in alike Springs,
e) $120,000 was paid for a human resources officer located in Alice Springs,
f) $ was received for homelands,
g) $ was received for MUNS funding for four communities,
h) AP Services received $455,000.00 from Anangu for rent largely through CEDEP and centerpay deductions
At this stage APYs primary concern is to obtain an accounting of rentals deducted from Anangu CEDEP and centerpay which should have been used for housing R&M as well as to recover other amounts due to APY.
This all started in October 2007 when the majority of the AP Services Committee (Ronnie Brumby, Donald Fraser, Tony Campbell and Jamie Nyaningu) voted to change the management and lawyer for AP Services; return AP Services activities to the APY Lands; and, to obtain an urgent financial report. They were overthrown by the minority of the Committee with the help of the dismissed lawyer and manager.
The appointment of the Special Administrator of AP Services means the Special Administrator overrides the Committee/Directors of AP Services and controls all of AP Services property, staff and operations. The Registrar Mr Bevan is in Umuwa for talks with APY today after which a further update will be issued to members.
Bernard Singer, APY Chairperson