Woman pleads guilty in Inuit identity fraud case, charges dropped against daughters
A Toronto woman pleaded guilty Friday in an Inuit identity fraud case as charges against her twin daughters were dropped.
Karima Manji, 59, and her 25-year-old daughters, Amira and Nadya Gill, had faced charges of fraud over $5,000.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
The three women appeared virtually from Ontario at a court hearing in Iqaluit, and Manji pleaded guilty. She is to be sentenced in June.
"She wanted to take responsibility for this," Manji's lawyer, John Scott Cowan, said in an interview.
Crown prosecutor Sarah White said in an email that Manji pleaded guilty to one count of fraud over $5,000, and the charges against the woman's daughters were withdrawn.
Nunavut RCMP charged the three women in September, after receiving a complaint that they used Inuit status to defraud two organizations.
An agreed statement of facts entered into court says Manji gave birth to her daughters in Mississauga, Ont., in September 1998.
In February 2016, the document says Manji completed an "Enrolment Form for Inuit Children" for each daughter.
"The purpose ... is to enrol Inuit children in the Nunavut Tunngavik land claim," says the statement. "People enrolled as such are officially beneficiaries of the land claim."
The process is jointly run by Qikiqtani Inuit Association and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated.
"In the enrolment forms, Karima Manji included information that Nadya and Amira were Inuit children, that their birth mother was an Iqaluit woman named Kitty Noah, and that Karima Manji was the adoptive mother of the children," says the document.
Court heard Manji sent in the enrolment forms and both applications were approved. Enrolment cards were issued for both daughters.
"Karima Manji, being the birth mother of Amira and Nadya, provided false information on the enrolment forms about Nadya and Amira's birth and eligibility for enrolment," says the statement.
It says she gave her daughters the fraudulent enrolment cards, and they were unaware the cards were fraudulent.
Court heard both daughters received sponsorship funding from the Kakivak Association, an organization that provides funding to Baffin Inuit for education-related expenses.
Nadya and Amira Gill received $158,254 from September 2020 to March 2023, says the document. Another $64,000 was on hold for Amira Gill in the spring of 2023 but was not paid out.
"An investigation into the false Inuit status of the Gill sisters was initiated by the family of Kitty Noah raising the issue," the document says.
Both daughters were removed from the enrolment list in April, court was told.
Manji also submitted an application in 2018 for herself, claiming she was adopted by Inuit parents, but that application was unsuccessful, says the statement.
Manji has a criminal record for fraud. In August 2017, she received a conditional sentence of two years less a day, followed by one year of probation, for fraud over $5,000.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2024.
-- By Colette Derworiz in Calgary
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Most of the city is evacuating': Gridlock on Alberta highway after evacuation order in Fort McMurray
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Sask. police seize 1.5M pieces of evidence, lay 60 more charges in child exploitation case
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
'Inappropriate' behaviour shuts down Dublin to New York City portal
Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, 'inappropriate behaviour' in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown.
Oilers starting Calvin Pickard in goal for Game 4 vs. Canucks
The Edmonton Oilers will start Calvin Pickard in net Tuesday for Game 4 of their playoff series with the Vancouver Canucks.
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker rails against Pride month, working women in commencement speech
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker railed against Pride month, working women, President Biden's leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and abortion during a commencement address at Benedictine College last weekend.
King Charles III unveils his first official portrait since his coronation
King Charles III has unveiled the first portrait of the monarch completed since he assumed the throne, a vivid image that depicts him in the bright red uniform of the Welsh Guards against a background of similar hues.
Full List Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Alberta announces the 4 health agencies that will replace AHS later this year
The province has released more information on its plan to break up Alberta Health Services and replace it with four sector-based health agencies.
Biden administration moving ahead on US$1 billion arms package for Israel, AP sources say
The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it is sending a new package of more than US$1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel, two congressional aides said Tuesday.