Ken Gillis says he will fulfill his board chair role until elections in the fall (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

TNRD SPENDING CONTROVERSY

TNRD board chair says whistleblower letter about former CAO’s spending was meant to be confidential

Feb 15, 2022 | 2:42 PM

KAMLOOPS — TNRD board chair Ken Gillis doesn’t plan to resign from his position and he’s doubled down explaining why he didn’t share a whistleblower letter about Sukh Gill’s spending.

In an emailed statement, Gillis said the letter given to him was meant to be completely confidential and not to be shared with the entire board.

“The writer told me, ‘This is for your eyes only.’ The writer made it clear that that was the specific condition upon which the information was being provided,” he noted. “The whistleblower did not say why. However, one can understand this person fearing that, if the letter were provided to the Board, it would be leaked.”

Gillis went on to say whistleblowers seek confidentiality and protection and he was committed to protect the person’s identity.

“I will not apologize for protecting the identity and information of someone who came to me, and to me alone, in the strictest confidence,” he said.

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Gillis also pointed to potential “reprecussions, including legal liability. That is not good for anyone, including the taxpayers.”

There are four TNRD directors who have called for Gillis to step down as the board chair, including Dale Bass.

“I was concerned at the politicization of a media release that was to represent the board’s belief it needed to release closed information about the existence of a whistleblower letter and just that,” Bass said in response to the statement.

Bass says Gillis has accused the board of leaking the letter without proof and “chose to make [the media statement] a personal message about his resolve.”

Gill’s spending was unveiled by Kamloops This Week and led to a full forensic audit conducted by BDO Canada, which looked at more than $750,000 in receipts.