Commissioner of Indian Affairs William E. Hallett said today that charges of financial abuses or mismanagement in the Comanche Indian Tribe of Oklahoma appear to be unfounded.
Hallett said that the Inspector General's Office of the Interior Department this month completed a survey of the tribe's financial records, including "documentation" presented to support charges made by some members of the tribe. It determined that there was no substantiation of the charges and that the tribe's financial records were in good order.
"The IG' s office determined that no further audit was called for "Hallett said The Comanche Tribe has been embroiled in internal political problems since a February 2 meeting of the tribal council at which the tribal chairman, Kenneth Saupitty, was removed from office by a recall vote of 184 to 1 . Saupitty has also questioned the validity of this recall. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, however, has administratively upheld the validity of the recall.
